Two Lafayette High School students have been arrested and charged with terrorizing in connection to all three targeted social media posts that caused two lockdowns this week on the Lafayette High School campus. Terrorizing school campuses is a serious offense and will not be tolerated at any level. Anyone found guilty of threatening our schools, students, or staff, or sharing threatening posts intending to cause disruption and fear will be charged with an act of violence or terrorism, will face expulsion from school, and will be held accountable to the maximum extent allowable by law.
We would like to thank our Lafayette High School families for cooperating with us throughout the course of this investigation. We know that these events are stressful. We have worked tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to refine our crisis response protocols and are confident that the proper procedures are in place.
We are not in a position to take any report lightly, and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon any information as it comes to our attention. These disruptions make an impact on normal school operations and create an environment that prevents productive teaching and learning. It is challenging for school administrators, teachers, and students to regain a sense of normalcy on campus following these events. Families, please remind children to be responsible for what they say, post, share, or text.
We would like to thank the Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, and school and district staff, for their quick response and commitment to school safety. The staff and students of Lafayette High School did an excellent job cooperating during these lockdowns, allowing us to successfully implement crisis protocols, and conduct thorough and effective investigations.