Huntley High School was placed on a soft lockdown, which accidentally escalated into a hard lockdown, as police and administrators investigated a “safety concern” on Wednesday.
Huntley High School Principal Dr. Marcus Belin sent a message to families of the school around noon on Wednesday informing them that Huntley High School was in a “Hold in Place and Teach” as a “safety concern” was being investigated.
Belin said teaching was continuing but students were remaining in their secure classrooms as the investigation continued.
“Safety and security for students and staff is our top priority. Police have been contacted to assist us with this investigation,” he said.
Students who were off campus were asked to remain off campus until an all-clear was given.
In an updated message to staff and families, Belin said the “Hold in Place and Teach” had been lifted and the school day returned to normal operation. “All students and staff are safe.”
It was determined there was no threat to safety after investigating the situation with the administration and police.
Also during the investigation, a staff member mistakenly activated the school’s new lockdown notification feature that enacts lockdown protocols, Belin said.
A message played across the public address system announcing, “We are in a current lockdown and an active threat to the high school is going on.”
School administration shut the message off, made an announcement to clarify that the school was only in a “Hold in Place and Teach” and then went to all classrooms to ensure that students and staff knew that the school was in a Hold in Place and not in a hard lockdown.
“Please know we understand that this may have been alarming to students and staff and we do apologize for the error,” Belin said.
Additional training for staff will be implemented following the incident.
“We are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff,” Belin said.
While the school district did not say what led to the initial “safety concern,” the school said parents and guardians are encouraged to talk with their children about the significant consequences of using language that could be interpreted as a threat.
“Ask your children to seek support from you or a trusted staff member if and when they are struggling. Remind your children to report concerning behavior to a trusted adult immediately,” the message said.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to report any school safety concerns to school administration via Huntley District 158’s Student Helpline.