Dear Minisink Valley school community:

Approximately 1:30 a.m. today, Dec. 16, we were alerted by the New York State Police Investigator’s Office in Sullivan County about a non-specific, online school violence threat which has now been confirmed to have been posted by a Minisink Valley High School student and other non-district students.

Please note: This threat was not to any Minisink Valley student, the high school or any district building.

According to information shared with us from law enforcement officials, the student was interviewed, and it was quickly determined  the “threat” was a hoax and didn’t pose any imminent danger.  Additionally, investigators also determined the student posted the threatening comments in coordination with Sullivan County friends in an effort to disrupt school.

As the district does, the state police have zero tolerance for this behavior and are handling this in the appropriate manner.

The district continues to cooperate in all aspects of law enforcement’s investigation and we are sharing the information we are authorized to share. 

However, going forward, please expect any further information to come from State Police officials.

This is important: Please consider using this as an opportunity to have a serious conversation with your children about responsible social media posting, the sharing of posts which can create unnecessary stress and the importance of contacting the appropriate school officials or law enforcement authorities if they view something online which we should be aware of.

The safety and security of our students and staff remain our highest priority at all times, and we appreciate your role in being a trusted partner in this effort.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Brian C. Monahan
Superintendent