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Update: Lenox School Evacuated Because Of Threatening Message

Lenox Memorial Middle and High School was evacuated Thursday morning after staff noticed a threatening message left on the school’s voicemail system. All sports practices held at the school are cancelled through Friday, a scheduled day off.Lenox Public Schools interim superintendent Timothy Lee says a phone call was made as much as 24 hours before Thursday morning, when a staff member heard it when checking messages. Lee says the caller sounded like a young person, perhaps a student.

“Initially making some very general threats that they might be doing harm on this day, Thursday, April 2nd, to the students and staff at the middle and high school,” said Lee.

Students were escorted to school’s theater and then dismissed by bus and to parents. Student drivers were able to drive themselves. Lee estimates all students and teaching staff left by 10:20 a.m. Administrative staff was given approval to stay.

State testing had been scheduled for grades seven and 10 Thursday, according to Lee. Lenox and Massachusetts State Police are investigating where the call came from.

“Find out all of the calls that came in during that time,” Lee said. “Getting from our phone service provider the numbers that the calls came from and then following up on each one of those numbers.”

The school will be open Friday from 8 a.m. to noon for parents and students to pick up personal belongings. About 420 students attend the school.

Jim is WAMC’s Associate News Director and hosts WAMC's flagship news programs: Midday Magazine, Northeast Report and Northeast Report Late Edition. Email: jlevulis@wamc.org