Continuing school threats spark Clintondale to form safety task force
District receives two threats Saturday, hours apart
As school threats appear to continue to rise, one campus leader in Clinton Township plans to launch a new safety training program in 2023.
Rodriguez Broadnax, superintendent of Clintondale Community Schools, said federal partners will be part of the initiative. In addition, a security task force is being developed.
“We are taking every action possible to protect the safety of our students,” Broadnax said in a statement. “This is our highest priority.”
The move follows school threats that have been made in the district in recent weeks, including two reported hours apart this past Saturday,
According to Clintondale officials, the first threat Saturday was discovered by Clinton Township police through social media.
A 10th grade student at Clintondale High School made the threat, school officials said. Police notified Maurice Woods, the high school principal, and asked him for information on the student, including the student’s address so they could visit his residence.
The student’s parents were also notified by school administration that he was suspended pending expulsion.
“This student had a hit list that included the principal,” officials said in a statement.
Later on Saturday, authorities learned of the second threat. It came in the form of a video posted to YouTube about school shootings that was made by a parent of a high school student. Officials referred police to the video on Sunday.
No further description of the video’s contents was disclosed.
All classes at Clintondale Schools went ahead Monday and are scheduled for Tuesday. The district is closed Wednesday through the end of the week for Thanksgiving.
In response to the recent security threats at Clintondale, administrators plan to meet with parents to outline the district’s new protocols.
The meeting will be held during the “Soup and Salad with the Superintendent” that will focus on steps that are being implemented to enhance security measures district-wide. It will be held 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Clintondale High School, 35100 Little Mack Ave. (north of 15 Mile Road), Clinton Township.
According to school leaders, the incident that sparked the new safety plan took place Sunday, Nov. 13, when the district received a security threat via email from an individual not enrolled in the district.
Local and federal law enforcement were notified immediately, the district was temporarily closed down and extra law enforcement was secured to patrol the school campuses. The threat is still under investigation by law enforcement.
Broadnax said Clintondale officials are working with federal partners, including the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on the safety program. He is developing a safety and task force that will include principals, teachers, students, parents, social workers, security members and the athletic director.
All parents of students enrolled in the Clintondale Community Schools district are encouraged to attend. The event is open to the public.