SAYVILLE, NY — The Sayville Union Free School District has resumed “normal levels” of police coverage after threatening comments on social media mentioning the district left the community reeling and calling for armed guards at schools.
On Wednesday, Patch reported that “threatening content” posted on “X” against Sayville schools sparked an outcry for armed guards on school campuses amid an investigation led by the Suffolk County Police Department and interstate law enforcement.
According to Sayville UFSD Superintendent Marc Ferris, the threats were posted by a 34-year-old male and former Sayville UFSD student “whose last known residence was Holbrook.”
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Ferris said the posts included “threats of violence to himself and others” and although they were “not specific” to Sayville schools, he was making “general threats of violence” and “mentioned” Sayville schools.
On Friday, Ferris sent an email to “Sayville Families,” writing that police have “assured the district that there is no actionable threat to any Sayville school buildings. As such, police coverage for our district will resume at normal levels.
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Ferris continued: “By all accounts, including the IP location of the suspected individual’s posts and cellphone usage, he is currently located in Florida and SCPD continues to work with the FBI, Homeland Security, and Florida law enforcement to ensure that this situation is dealt with.”
Since learning of the threats, Sayville parents started petitioning for enhanced security—including armed guards—on school campuses.
Organizers are collecting signatures via hard copies of the petition and are asking residents to contact school board members, demanding the request be honored. While supporters who sign the petition do not have to have children in the school district, they must be residents with a Sayville or West Sayville address, organizers said.
There is also a separate petition for Sayville school district staff who do not live in the district. Signatures for both petitions will be collected until Nov. 20 and organizers plan to present the petition at the board of education meeting on Nov. 21.
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