School district issues statement on TPHS and CCA school lockdowns

The following statement on the Nov. 20 school lockdowns was released by the San Dieguito Union High School District:

“On the morning of Thursday, Nov. 20, Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) administrators were made aware of a threat toward the school posted on a social media site. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) was notified and the school was placed in lockdown status. The police began an investigation to determine the source and credibility of the threat. By the afternoon, both law enforcement and school officials felt that it was safe to release students and did so in stages under police supervision.

“Just before the end of the school day, administrators at Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) were made aware of a similar social media threat directed toward CCA. SDPD was notified and the school was placed in lockdown status. After law enforcement arrived on the school site, students were released in stages under police supervision.

“Student safety is always our first priority and we take any threat seriously. SDPD continues to investigate both threats and we continue to work cooperatively with them to ensure a safe school environment for all of our students. Despite the anonymous nature of the online threat, the SDPD Internet Crimes Against Children unit is pursuing several promising leads and we are hopeful that the individuals responsible for the threats will be held accountable. Many believe that social media posts can be made anonymously. At this point, there is no ongoing threat to student safety and therefore school will proceed as normal on Friday Nov. 21, at all of our schools.

“We are proud and appreciative of the professional and immediate response of our school staff, students, and law enforcement. We are also thankful for the understanding, support, and patience demonstrated by our parent community as these events unfolded.”