Classes at Casco Bay High School in Portland have been canceled Wednesday after faculty alerted police that threats had been directed at students over a social media platform.

Lt. Robert Martin, spokesman for the Portland Police Department, said officers were called to the school around 3 p.m. Tuesday after high school faculty were told by several students they had received “threatening messages.”

The threat targeted about 20 Casco Bay High School students, the Portland School Department said in a news release late Tuesday. The Allen Avenue campus is also home to the Portland Arts & Technology School (PATHS). No threats were made against any PATHS’ students.

The release said that Superintendent Xavier Botana made the decision to cancel Wednesday classes as a precautionary measure.

“The threat was directed toward a specific group of students that attend the school,” Martin said in a news release. “A student alerted the faculty to the threat around the time school was ending for the day.”

Martin said students were dismissed at the normal time, and police determined there was no need to implement a lockdown.

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Martin said Portland police are working to identify the person who sent the threat, adding that it does not appear to be a student from any Portland school.

“Out of an abundance of caution, classes at Casco Bay High School will be canceled  (Wednesday) to allow police and school officials more time to assess this threat and identify the individual involved,” Martin said.

Casco Bay High School Principal Derek Pierce urged students to use their time off Wednesday to continue working on their studies before the trimester ends next week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Anyone with information concerning who posted the threat is asked to contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8575.

 

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