BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Beachwood City Schools and the Beachwood Police Department are investigating threatening messages that have been sent to students at the high school and middle school through Instagram.
In a letter sent Monday to Beachwood parents and guardians, Superintendent Dr. Robert P. Hardis stated that "a group of students at the high school and middle school have received, or are aware of others receiving, threatening messages through Instagram."
The district's security director, C.J. Piro, and the Beachwood Police Department are investigating.
According to Hardis, Piro has contacted Instagram’s parent company Meta to obtain the identity of the person who owns the account that has been making the threats. The person in question is sending an Instagram message threatening the recipient that if they don’t repost the sender’s post the recipient will be harmed.
"We have become aware that at least one Beachwood student received a message from this person in early November and others have received them since," Hardis added.
Hardis says while police attempt to determine who is responsible for the threatening messages, Beachwood City Schools will continue to operate as normal, "but with heightened vigilance on the part of our officers stationed at each building, as well as our administrators and staff."
Anyone who has information that would be helpful to the investigation are asked to please contact your school administrator.
You can read Dr. Hardis' entire letter below: