LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Since the beginning of the month, fourth-grader Locklyn Scott has been out of her classroom at Panther Run Elementary.
“I definitely miss my friends,” she said.
She will be enrolling in virtual schooling for her own safety.
“My child's life was threatened, and I take it very seriously,” said Brooke Scott, the child’s mother.
“R.I.P. girl, you’ll find out why,” is the alarming note the fourth grader said she found in her notebook at the school in Wellington.
How was it for you to open your journal and see that note? WPTV's Kayla McDermott asked.
“It was really scary, and it just made me feel uncomfortable that someone would say that to me,” Locklyn Scott said.
Filing a police report, school officers said the suspected student admitted to writing the note. That student then retracted their confession, saying they felt threatened at the time of questioning.
School officers ran a handwriting analysis where they determined the writing on the note and the student’s do match.
However, Brooke Scott said no action has been taken aside from being told that her daughter, Locklyn, can transfer out of the classroom or into a new school.
“They are completely negligent. These are real threats, and they're terrifying,” Brooke Scott said.
Pushing the Palm Beach County School District
I looked into the incident, the police response and school district policies about threats.
I asked the Palm Beach County School District if this is protocol as the district’s code of conduct states any threat to kill or do bodily injury are grounds for expulsion but I was told “for the current school year, we can confirm that there have been no viable threats at this school” and the district police report stated the investigation “lacked sufficient evidence.”
Locklyn Scott knows she'll have to get used to going to school at home, but she told me she's glad her parents pulled her out of Panther Run Elementary school.
“I'm really happy that they did that, because I also didn't feel safe there,” she said.
Below is the complete statement from Palm Beach County School District in response to WPTV’s questions:
The School District of Palm Beach County cannot comment on individual student matters or the specific circumstances involving a student due to student privacy laws and regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The safety and security of our students and staff are the highest priorities of the School District of Palm Beach County. We take all threats with the utmost seriousness, and we adhere to a rigorous, systematic Threat Assessment Protocol across all of our campuses.
In keeping with Florida law and our established policies, any staff member who receives information about a potential threat must immediately report it. An assessment is conducted, and any potential threat is addressed quickly. This process utilizes dedicated staff and operates on strict timelines to support a secure learning environment.
Any student who threatens the safety of another student, staff member, or the school community will face strict discipline as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. And in Florida, making a threat against a school is a second-degree felony.
For the current school year, we can confirm that there have been no viable threats at this school.
As noted in your attachment, School Police investigated this matter as well.
We urge anyone with a safety concern to promptly report it to a trusted adult or through the FortifyFL app.
