Threat of altercation involving high school students prompted police presence

Riverhead Town police responded to Riverhead High School Friday after a threat of an altercation involving several students, according to the district superintendent.

At least one student was taken into custody by police, Superintendent Augustine Tornatore wrote in a letter to families in the district. It’s not clear if any charges have since been filed.

The superintendent said the high school administration contacted police when it was notified of the incident and school security “quickly contained the situation before any physical altercation could take place.”

The high school administration notified the families of all the students involved. The superintendent did not disclose the ages of the students are how many were involved.

“Threats of violence in any manner will not be tolerated,” Mr. Tornatore wrote. “The Riverhead Central School District is fully cooperating with the Riverhead Police Department in its investigation of this incident.”

He added: “The health and safety of our students, faculty and community is the Riverhead Central School District’s foremost priority. The Riverhead Central School District and its educators will continue to condemn any threatening behavior, whether it is silent, online, verbal or physical.”

The incident came just over a week after Riverhead police were notified of a potential threat posted on social media that did not target a specific school. Suffolk County police investigated the threat and found it was a hoax.

Mr. Tornatore in an Oct. 20 letter encouraged parents to speak to the their children about the danger of using social media to spread false and dangerous information.

“These posts are disturbing to all of us here in Riverhead, as we are sure they are to parents and educators across the country,” he wrote. “It is of great concern to us that these types of troublesome and fear-inducing posts continue to occur, and that these types of posts, which have the sole intent to cause fear, are shared widely in a community without substantiation.”

He said if students or parents become aware of any potential threat aimed at a school or person, they should contact the child’s school principal or the superintendent’s office.

Threats of violence against Long Island schools escalated at the end of the last school year after 19 students and two teachers were killed in the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. Several reported threats occurred against Riverhead schools and two high school students were arrested in one week last June.