AMHERST, N.Y. - A threat call at Sweet Home High School prompted a large police response to the building Monday afternoon.
School district spokesperson Donald Feldmann said police received the call through 911 around 2:30 p.m. The school immediately went into lockdown. Feldmann stressed that students and staff were never in any danger.
Police searched the building for about an hour but found no evidence of a threat. They lifted the lockdown at around 3:30 p.m.
Police have not confirmed whether the 911 call came from a student, nor have they confirmed the intent of the call. They are investigating the possibility that it was a prank or hoax.
Michael Taheri, a 2 On Your Side legal analyst and partner at the law firm Taheri and Todoro, said that if the call were indeed a prank, it could be punishable by a felony charge of falsely reporting in the second degree. However, it would most likely be prosecuted as a misdemeanor.
"Ultimately, they've got to be able to prove the case. They've got to be able to connect this call with either a student, a teacher, a member of administration, and then find out it was done with the intent to falsely file a report," Taheri said. "If the person was mistaken, there would be no falsely reporting."
The district released the following statement regarding the incident:
At 2:31pm, a phone call to 911 was made from a courtesy phone indicating a reported emergency at the school. School safety protocols were activated in coordination with the Amherst Police. The school was searched by members of the Amherst Police Department and it appears that the report of an emergency was unfounded. The high school building was removed from lockdown at approximately 3:30pm.
Sweet Home Central School District is very appreciate of the efforts of the Town of Amherst Police Department and all district administrators involved with today’s incident.