Brookline High School was placed under a “precautionary lockdown” for approximately 40 minutes on Thursday morning after a phone threat was made to the school around 11 a.m. The incident, which caused temporary panic among students, staff, and parents, was addressed swiftly by school and law enforcement officials.
In an email sent to parents at 11:14 a.m., Head of School Anthony Meyer assured the community that students were safe inside the building. “Students are in lockdown with staff, and no student or staff member should be walking through the building or campus,” Meyer wrote, urging parents not to come to the school to pick up their children. He also promised to provide an update as soon as the situation was resolved.
The lockdown, initiated as a precautionary measure, prompted an immediate response from Brookline police, who later confirmed the safety of the school and its occupants. A social media post from the Brookline Police Department clarified that the lockdown was out of “an abundance of caution” and emphasized that there was “no threat to the school or students” at that time. According to the post, law enforcement was working to investigate the nature of the threat, which was reportedly made by phone.
The lockdown was lifted at around 11:45 a.m., and in a follow-up email, Meyer informed parents that the phone threat was now believed to have been a hoax. “The threatening phone calls made to BHS and Brookline police are believed to be hoaxes – or swatting phone calls,” Meyer explained. Swatting is a dangerous prank in which a false threat is made to prompt a large-scale police response. Meyer reassured parents that while the campus had returned to normal, a “modest police presence” remained on campus as a precaution.
This incident came during a stressful week for students, as Brookline High is currently in the midst of midterm exams. As a result of the lockdown, the school postponed its afternoon exams, providing students some relief after the unsettling event.
At the time of reporting, Brookline police had not yet responded to a request for further details from Brookline.News. However, the community remains thankful for the quick action and communication from both the school and local authorities, ensuring the safety of all involved.