EdNews Virginia | February 7, 2023
“Dorothy Hamm Middle School was informed of a threat of violence written on a piece of paper and slipped under a teacher workroom door,” Principal Ellen Smith wrote to families today.
“As a precaution, there will be increased police presence at the school today,” Principal Smith wrote. “Any staff or students who have knowledge of this are asked to contact the school or Arlington County Police Department.”
Today’s news follows a series of incidents that have rattled county parents, including last week’s fatal overdose at Wakefield High School. At Thursday’s school board meeting, several members of the public voiced their concerns over drugs and violence among students.
A concerned Dorothy Hamm parent informed EdNews Virginia that she retrieved her child from school after learning of today’s threat — and that other parents were doing the same. Several parents even wrote “safety concerns” on the sign-out sheet at Dorothy Hamm, EdNews Virginia was told.
READ THE FULL LETTER FROM PRINCIPAL SMITH:
Dorothy Hamm Middle School was informed of a threat of violence written on a piece of paper and slipped under a teacher workroom door. The threat was non-specific and did not include any information other than that something would happen today, Feb. 7.
The Department of Safety, Security, Risk and Emergency Management (SSREM) and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) have been contacted, and while we do not believe the threat is credible, they are investigating. The school is operating as normal at this time, and all students and staff are safe.
As a precaution, there will be increased police presence at the school today. Any staff or students who have knowledge of this are asked to contact the school or Arlington County Police Department.
Students are reminded that making threats of any kind is unacceptable and in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action by the school as well as a referral to law enforcement.
We appreciate the staff member who brought this to our attention and ask all members of our community to report any threats they may see or hear, whether they believe they are credible or not.
We will keep you updated if we receive new information. Thank you for working together to make our school safe. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office at 703-228-2910.