School safety remains top of mind amid surge of hoax threats: 'We take it serious'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's been an unsettling week for Durham Public Schools, where just on Friday alone, Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis said more than a dozen schools in the district have received threats.

"Thirteen of our schools have received threats as of this (Friday) morning," Lewis said. "Unfortunately, these incidents happen in schools."

The new superintendent is no stranger to school safety concerns, coming directly to Durham County from Lawrence, Kansas, where he served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools since 2018.

"Having spent time in a large urban school district in the Midwest, we had metal detectors in our schools, and we still got a student to bring a weapon inside the building," Lewis said.

School safety is on the minds of many North Carolinians after a recent surge in threats and incidents in schools.

The Durham County Sheriff's Office has been investigating dozens of school threats in addition to finding a gun on campus at Holton Career and Resource Center. One student was charged in connection with the incident.

"They're criminal charges. There are school disciplinary actions that we are required to take," Lewis said.

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As some schools nationwide rethink safety and security measures, such as installing metal detectors or focusing more on people, such as staff and students, Dr. Lewis said while those are options they'd like to keep exploring, he highlighted talking to students.

"All of our schools have secured entrances...but also there are some things that we're doing," Lewis said. "Our goal here is to ensure that every single student in this district has at least one caring adult."

Lewis said school safety is a community issue and encouraged families to continue to have meaningful conversations at home.

"Create that space where your child feels safe coming to talk to you," Lewis said. "We know our parents do a lot ... but taking a step further. What are some things that make you smile today? What were some things that maybe made you anxious or maybe made you sad today? To ensure that we are meeting their needs."

Durham Public Schools have resources that are available to the community, such as two anonymous tip systems (Sandy Hook Promise Say Something Anonymous Tip and Motorola Text-a-tip) that are monitored 24/7.

"Please know every single tip that we receive, we take it serious," Lewis said.