Last week, the Teague Police Department received a call threatening violence at the Secondary Campus.
The call originated from a New York area code, and the caller has an English accent, using an internet phone app.
Although this did not initially appear as a credible threat, it was treated as such. The building was cleared with the assistance of the City of Teague, Freestone County, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“First and foremost, I want to assure everyone that all individuals were safe, and the security team handled the situation very well,” said TISD Superintendent Chis Skinner in a letter to parents.
The phone call was received on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
“While it may seem like we are in our own little bubble here in Teague, Texas, there were several schools in neighboring states that dealt with the same issue,” continued Superintendent Skinner.
According to Skinner, it was later discovered that the call was bouncing off towers in New York, California, and overseas, as confirmed by the FBI.
“In today’s times, we cannot dismiss threats until we can prove that there is no credibility to them,” continued the Superintendent.
Although the school faced delays due to the phone provider, eventually, the FBI collaborated with TISD school officials, the Freestone County District Attorney’s Office, School attorneys, Teague Police Department, Freestone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Public Safety to secure all the necessary information to move forward.
Teague ISD was able to resume normal operating procedures the following day on February 1st.
“I would like to express my gratitude to each of you for your cooperation and understanding today,” said Superintendent Skinner.
