Online posts spark Oak Park schools closure

Oak Park Schools are closed Thursday and Friday following concerns about threats posted online, district officials said.

The district had been “operating with caution and on high alert at all schools” after social media messages that administrators interpreted as threats, Superintendent Daveda Colbert said in a statement Wednesday.

The posts, which administrators did not describe, were being investigated by the public safety department, Colbert said.

Before the closing was announced Wednesday, the superintendent’s notice said extra security measures, including more police presence, would be in place at district schools until further notice.

“We do not find these posts funny at all,” Colbert said. “They cause anxiety and concern for students, staff, parents and communities alike.”

The decision comes as more districts across the state face threats following the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people did.

Redford Union High was in a soft lockdown Wednesday because a threat against the school was posted on social media, officials reported.

Last week, Belleville High School was closed due to a phoned-in threat, the district announced.

Other incidents have prompted charges for some youths.