Saint Mary’s College High School is closed for the day while police investigate a threat made to one of the students. The threat appears to have been “bogus,” according to the principal.
A student at another high school warned a Saint Mary’s student that they should not come to school Tuesday, said Principal Peter Imperial. He and other administrators heard about the threat from a school counselor around 6:30 a.m.
“We couldn’t evaluate the veracity of this” before students began arriving on campus,” Imperial said. “Without time to make a more measured decision, we canceled school.” Staff remained on campus.
An email went out to families at Saint Mary’s, which is in Albany at the Berkeley border, shortly after 8 a.m.
“We are asking all students that are on campus to return home,” the email said. “A situation has arisen where we think it is in the best interest for students not to be on campus today. And we will report details to you later today.”
The opaque nature of the email frustrated some parents. A number reached out to Berkeleyside to see what was happening.
The principal said the Albany Police Department is still looking into the threat, but that it appears to have been false. Sports practices might even take place this afternoon, according to Imperial.
Albany Lt. Daniel Adams said no further information could be released around 11 a.m. Tuesday, but said he hoped to have an update in the afternoon.
“We have an ongoing investigation into a threat,” he said.
Imperial said this is the first time Saint Mary’s has shut down due to a threat in his 13 years working there.
“These days,” he said, threats against schools are not taken lightly.
Berkeleyside updated this developing story as we gathered information.
