While the officials of Columbia Hickman High School don’t believe a message written on a toilet stall is a credible threat, they say they will have additional law enforcement resources available on campus Thursday to make sure everyone feels safe .
Hickman is located near the Business Loop and Providence. Hickman principal Mary Grupe wrote a letter to Hickman’s families, saying it was a graffiti message written on a stand. Principal Grupe said the incident is being thoroughly investigated by school staff, Columbia Public Schools (CPS) safety and security personnel, and Columbia Police. His letter says the message included the possibility of a threat to the campus.
She stresses that CPS and Hickman treat all threats, real or rumored, seriously. She says the safety and well-being of Hickman’s students is their top priority and they want all students to feel safe at school.
In her letter to parents, the Grupe director also says that “a number of students” have continued to spread rumors and escalate the situation on social media. She asks parents to talk to their children and says if the children hear or see anything, it should be reported to an adult.
