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Upper St. Clair district says morning threat was a hoax after rapid police response
Summary
Superintendent reported a phone threat to the district early the morning of May 4 that triggered the district safety plan; local police, federal partners and district staff secured buildings, resolved the incident within about 90 minutes and communicated with families that the threat was part of a broader national hoax campaign.
The Upper St. Clair School District reported that a phone threat targeting the district early on the morning of May 4 prompted implementation of the district’s safety and security plan and a coordinated law‑enforcement response. "We did receive a call that there was a threat to our school district," Superintendent Dr. Razo said, noting the threat did not identify a specific building and that the district immediately enacted its protocols.
Dr. Razo credited Chief Sean Bryson and local township police, as well as federal partners, for their response. "Within less than 90 minutes we did have the situation fully resolved and communication sent to families," he said, adding that investigators determined the call was part of a national hoax campaign and that the district treated the report seriously until cleared by law enforcement.
Board members and administrators said families were notified through the district’s established reporting channels and emphasized the importance of community tips and reporting. The superintendent said the district kept buildings operating normally while restricting student egress and limiting building access to people with appointments during the response.
The board voted later in the meeting to approve entering into or continuing partnerships with law enforcement in compliance with School Code section 1319‑B, a step administrators said supported the response earlier in the day. No injuries or targeted incidents were reported to the board; the district described the episode as a hoax tied to similar threats in other states.
The district said it will continue to remind families about reporting channels for suspected threats and noted that it would not publicly label incidents as hoaxes until cleared by investigators. The board recorded the event during the superintendent’s report and thanked responding staff and partners for their work.
