There was a large Lexington police presence at this SC school. Here’s why
There was a larger-than-normal police presence on a South Carolina campus Wednesday after the school was targeted in an online threat, according to the Lexington Police Department.
Additional officers were at the American Leadership Academy buildings for the day following the threat, police said on social media. The campus is at 115 Innovation Place, just off South Lake Drive, near Exit 55 on I-20.
Specific information about the threat was not available, but in a message to parents of students the charter school’s officials called it “a concerning social media post that appeared to reference ALA-Lexington.”
Once the post was discovered, school officials said they reached out to law enforcement to “review the report and determine its source.”
No arrests have been reported, and the investigation is ongoing.
Other than the police presence, no other security measures, like a lockdown, were reported and classes were conducted as scheduled. No other incidents were reported.
There was no word if the person who made the concerning post has any direct connection to the charter school. But when informing families about the extra police presence, school officials said the person responsible for the threat wouldn’t be at either the K-5 or 6-12 school buildings on the Lexington campus.
“We want to assure our families that the individual connected to the post is not someone who will be on campus,” American Leadership Academy administration said on social media. “We understand that news of situations like this can cause concern. Please know that every response we take follows clear safety protocols developed in partnership with law enforcement to ensure the well-being of our students and staff.”
Because American Leadership Academy is a charter school — which has other campuses in South Carolina, North Carolina and Arizona — it was not clear if it follows safety protocols like other school districts in Lexington County. Charter schools follow the same academic standards as public school but craft their own identity beyond reading, writing and math.
Both school officials and police said keeping students safe was a priority.
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