Threats against two Lee County school deemed not credible

Word of a threat against Cypress Lake High School has Lee County deputies on campus as a precaution Friday morning.

Parents whose students attend the high school located at 6750 Panther Lane received the following email from Principal Angela Roles around 11:30 p.m. Thursday:

Good evening Panther family,

I apologize for the late hour, but felt it was important to get this information to you as soon as possible.

There is a rumor circulating about a threat of violence against our school tomorrow. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating and will provide extra security on campus tomorrow.

The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority and we will update you if there is any new information.

A separate threat is being investigated at Oak Hammock Middle School, located at 5321 Tice St., but without an LCSO security presence.

In 2020, LCSO investigated around 150 threats against Lee County schools, compared to 50 the year before. LCSO says it is taking this threat seriously, real or fake—any student who makes a threat will face real consequences.

Some parents sent their kids to school on Friday others kept their students home.

The Lee County school district said the social media scare was geared toward Oak Hammock Middle School, but it made it’s way to Cypress Lake High School, too.

Melissa Strun said her daughter said she didn’t feel comfortable going to school.

“She has anxiety,” Strun said.

Martha Bauchert didn’t see the principal’s email until after she dropped off her grandson.

“It really did scare me. And about the time I saw that. He texted me because he only had five students in one class and he said he found out why. So I texted back and said are you OK,” Bauchert said. “He said yes and I said you be safe and listen to what they say.”

Bauchert said had she known about the threat she would have kept him home.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said he beefed up security at both schools to assure teachers, parents and students that they are safe.

The threats were deemed not credible.