Officials from Cullman County and Cullman City schools said campuses will continue taking additional precautionary measures in response to a series of reported, online threats which local authorities have deemed to be unsubstantiated.

Cullman City Schools began increasing campus security Monday, Sept. 9, after someone reported a threat made to three Jefferson County high schools — Huffman, Clay-Chalkville and Center Point — to the Cullman City Police Department. The caller was said to have been unable to produce the post for dispatchers. CPD Police Chief, Dave Nassetta, said investigators were able to quickly track down the origins of the threat and determine there was no immediate danger to CCS students, but increased the department’s on-campus presence as a precautionary measure.

“We don’t consider this a real threat, but we are still putting extra officers in the schools to cover our bases,” Nassetta told The Times on Monday. “When you’re dealing with school threats it’s almost as if you have to expect the worst and plan for the worst.”

CCS made a second statement on Tuesday, Sept. 10, regarding a separate post being shared among parents which they believed to target West Elementary. According to the statement, both CPD and the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office found the threat to have not been substantiated, but put additional security personnel and safety precautions in place.

“Cullman City Schools will continue to operate under heightened awareness this week, just as a precautionary measure,” the statement said.

“Upon investigation, authorities do not believe alleged social media threats and online posts reported earlier this week pose any legitimate threat to our schools.

“We appreciate everyone’s awareness and communication, and the safety of our students is something we all take incredibly seriously. So we ask if any parent or student receives or sees a social media post or message that could be deemed threatening to please report it to a school administrator and/or Cullman City Police. With the potential for social media to create confusion and panic, this will help ensure all information is vetted and investigated by the proper authorities as quickly as possible to determine if it is new and credible,” a statement from CCS sent to The Times on Wednesday, Sept. 11 said.

Cullman County School officials said outdated threats resurfacing and being passed around social media this week has also created a concern among parents in its district. According to a statement to The Times from the CCBOE Wednesday, Sept. 11, local authorities have determined students and campuses as safe.

“Thank you for your continued cooperation this week as we have investigated — and continue to investigate — any and all online posts and/or social media threats in our school system. Your student’s safety and security continues to be our top priority,” the statement said.

“Your students are safe and building are secure. Please continue to stress to your child that if they see or hear something to immediately disclose it to a school administrator or resource officer. Doing the alternative — sharing with other students and social media — does nothing but cause panic and confusion,” the statement continued.

As a parent himself, Nassetta said he can understand the panic response which occurs from seeing what can appear to a threat to school safety, but he said reporting any concerns to law enforcement is a much more effective way to determine credibility which allows for a quicker and more appropriate response.

“We take everything very seriously, but we have more avenues to research a threat and determine where it came from and if it is or isn’t anything new. Then we leave it up to the schools to put whatever precautions in place that they feel like they need to and we will assist them in whatever way they need us to,” Nassetta said.