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| Los Angeles defends decision to close all public schools over threat | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| All schools in the vast Los Angeles Unified School District have been ordered closed due to a threat, which New York City officials say they also received but quickly concluded that it was a hoax. | All schools in the vast Los Angeles Unified School District have been ordered closed due to a threat, which New York City officials say they also received but quickly concluded that it was a hoax. |
| Related: Los Angeles school closure: search under way for unspecified threat – live | |
| Los Angeles school superintendent Ramon Cortines said that the threat was “not to one school, two school or three schools” but to “many schools” and “at school students” generally. He declined to describe the nature of the threat. | Los Angeles school superintendent Ramon Cortines said that the threat was “not to one school, two school or three schools” but to “many schools” and “at school students” generally. He declined to describe the nature of the threat. |
| He said he had asked staffers at schools to look for “anything that is out of order” but “not to touch anything, not to do anything” before contacting authorities – suggesting that he and school officials fear a bomb threat. | He said he had asked staffers at schools to look for “anything that is out of order” but “not to touch anything, not to do anything” before contacting authorities – suggesting that he and school officials fear a bomb threat. |
| The superintendent said the district police chief informed him of the threat around 5am on Tuesday. “He shared with me that some of the details talked about backpacks, talked about other packages,” Cortines said. | The superintendent said the district police chief informed him of the threat around 5am on Tuesday. “He shared with me that some of the details talked about backpacks, talked about other packages,” Cortines said. |
| New York mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday morning that he was “absolutely convinced” there was no danger to schoolchildren in New York, and police commissioner William Bratton said he thought Los Angeles officials overreacted by deciding to close the nation’s second-largest school system. | New York mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday morning that he was “absolutely convinced” there was no danger to schoolchildren in New York, and police commissioner William Bratton said he thought Los Angeles officials overreacted by deciding to close the nation’s second-largest school system. |
| Bratton also speculated that the threat was sent by someone who “may have been a Homeland fan” because it “mirrors recent episodes” of the Showtime drama. | |
| Steve Zipperman, chief of the Los Angeles school police department, said the threat was delivered as an “electronic” message, and that the decision to close schools was made “in an abundance of caution”. | Steve Zipperman, chief of the Los Angeles school police department, said the threat was delivered as an “electronic” message, and that the decision to close schools was made “in an abundance of caution”. |
| “We do not know of any other information of any other threats in the county region at this time,” he added. | “We do not know of any other information of any other threats in the county region at this time,” he added. |
| LAPD assistant chief Jorge Villegas said that the department and the FBI are currently vetting the threat to determine its credibility. | LAPD assistant chief Jorge Villegas said that the department and the FBI are currently vetting the threat to determine its credibility. |
| Cortines said that he would release a statement describing the threat only after police had searched schools. He asked for employers to be flexible with parents so that they could reunite with children. | Cortines said that he would release a statement describing the threat only after police had searched schools. He asked for employers to be flexible with parents so that they could reunite with children. |
| The playground and classrooms at Kenter Canyon elementary school were silent and deserted by 8.30am, with just a handful of staff staying on to warn away any parents who had not heard the news. | The playground and classrooms at Kenter Canyon elementary school were silent and deserted by 8.30am, with just a handful of staff staying on to warn away any parents who had not heard the news. |
| “The phone has been ringing off the hook,” said the principal, Terry Moren. “We’re here to make sure no kids come to campus. The school is totally closed.” | “The phone has been ringing off the hook,” said the principal, Terry Moren. “We’re here to make sure no kids come to campus. The school is totally closed.” |
| In contrast to the anxiety and scramble elsewhere in LA, in Santa Monica, which has its own autonomous school district, operated normally in the crisp morning sunshine. Yellow buses deposited children at entrances and crossing guards shepherded them across streets. One guard who gave her name only as Sue had not heard of the shutdown affecting the rest of Los Angeles: “Wow. That’ll keep people busy.” | In contrast to the anxiety and scramble elsewhere in LA, in Santa Monica, which has its own autonomous school district, operated normally in the crisp morning sunshine. Yellow buses deposited children at entrances and crossing guards shepherded them across streets. One guard who gave her name only as Sue had not heard of the shutdown affecting the rest of Los Angeles: “Wow. That’ll keep people busy.” |
| The district, the second largest in the nation, has 640,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and more than 900 schools and 187 public charter schools. | The district, the second largest in the nation, has 640,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and more than 900 schools and 187 public charter schools. |
| Despite the unprecedented scale of the closure, Cortines said he considered the Tuesday message a “rare threat”, given the recent terrorist attack in nearby San Bernardino. “I as superintendent am not going to take the chance with the life of a student.” | Despite the unprecedented scale of the closure, Cortines said he considered the Tuesday message a “rare threat”, given the recent terrorist attack in nearby San Bernardino. “I as superintendent am not going to take the chance with the life of a student.” |
| “We get threats all the time,” he said. “We do evacuate schools, we do lock down schools, etc. We do not release students until we notify parents. | “We get threats all the time,” he said. “We do evacuate schools, we do lock down schools, etc. We do not release students until we notify parents. |
| “So what we are doing today is not different than what we always do, except we are doing this in a mass way.” | “So what we are doing today is not different than what we always do, except we are doing this in a mass way.” |