‘Annoyed and frustrated’: Kemptville’s St. Michael school community looking for answers after tumultuous few weeks of threats

Frustrations and fear have been mounting within the Kemptville community this month amid the string of anonymous threats of violence directed at St. Michael Catholic High School.

School has been back session for a week now after a tumultuous couple of weeks involving several closures, but questions remain. Many parents and community members in the area are taking their thoughts and theories to local online forums, and the common sentiment seems to be: “We want answers.”

As recently as Oct. 15, the school was closed due to a new threat, following briefly re-opening on Oct. 9. Prior to that, the school had been closed for nearly a week after threats of violence were made against the school on Oct. 2.

Jennifer Creigton, a parent of a Grade 12 student at St. Michael, told Brockvilleist, “​​Frankly we’ve been more annoyed and frustrated. I know that board policies and ongoing investigations require the utmost discretion, however the lack of transparency was frustrating. My son has chemistry this semester and doing it online was not an effective solution for him. I’m just happy that they’re back in class.”

Since a second reopening on Oct. 17, a number of safety measures have been put in place, following consultations with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Kevin Cameron, a subject matter expert in threat assessment and trauma response.

In an email to parents and guardians, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) said they had been working “around the clock” with Cameron and the police “to assess the risk to the St. Michael community.”

As a result, police officers and mental health councillors have been present at the school all this week, along with additional board staff. The school has also added external locking doors.

“The school board and the police take seriously any threat of violence against a school and will continue to remain vigilant,” the letter said. The board did not comment as to whether further threats had been made as of Thursday, Oct. 24.

Bill Dickson, Media Relations Coordinator with the East Region OPP clarified that while the OPP must work with the CDSBEO to investigate the nature of these threats, the final decision to close the schools falls solely on the shoulders of the school board.

Dickson told Brockvilleist, “The OPP investigation is ongoing. We have seen no physical evidence of an actual threat to the safety or students or staff at the school.While I cannot get into the details if investigative techniques, I can assure you that the OPP is taking all necessary steps and utilizing any necessary resources to find the person or persons responsible and hold them accountable.”