STANFORD — Lincoln County High School will be under increased law enforcement protection beginning today, after officials say a student was threatened.
High School Principal Tim Godbey said a relative called the student Wednesday morning and threatened to come to the school and harm the student.
"Once the student came to me and reported what happened, I immediately contacted law enforcement," Godbey said.
The school resource officer was busy handling another incident, so Godbey called Stanford Police Chief Keith Middleton, who sent Detective Barry Allen out to the school, Godbey said.
Parents of students were alerted to the incident Wednesday evening when the school district sent out phone calls letting them know there would be increased security.
"We felt that parents should be notified of that," he said. "I feel that it's important to keep our community informed."
Today, there are extra police officers patrolling the high school, as well as the larger campus, including Lincoln County Middle School and Lloyd McGuffey Sixth Grade Center.
There will also be an increased law enforcement presence at Stanford Elementary because a bus the threatened student rides stops there.
The extra police presence will continue every day until officials determine it's no longer needed, Godbey said.
Charges have been filed against the person who made the threats, Godbey said.
Based on Lincoln County Regional Jail records, no one had been arrested on charges related to the incident as of 9 a.m. Thursday.
Stanford police have not been available for comment on the incident or ongoing investigation.
Godbey said there are some concerns about the student's safety at home, but law enforcement officers are working on that as well.
Some parents were "alarmed" by the news and opted not to send their children to school today, but Godbey said he's also heard from other parents who were appreciative of the school's efforts to inform the community.
"I do not believe we're going to have a situation at all today and I believe that because of the steps we've taken," he said. "School safety is an utmost priority for us and we want to be transparent about what's happening at school."
