Lexington County School District 1 is reporting that it has received threats for a third day this week.

According to a message posted to the district’s website from Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait, White Knoll and River Bluff high schools were named in bomb threats on March 10.

“Unfortunately, once again, two of our schools were mentioned in threats communicated via the StopIt anonymous incident reporting app,” she writes. “Today’s messages did not originate from South Carolina but came from multiple states across the country.”

The most recent threats are being linked by the district to similar threats impacting schools around the state, with Postlewait referencing a series of five bomb threats received in less than two weeks by Barnwell High School.

“The messages we received today are similar in nature, and there is a low probability that this is a credible threat,” the superintendent writes. “School and district administrators, however, are working with law enforcement to thoroughly investigate and to take the necessary precautions. Law enforcement and school/district administrators searched River Bluff High and White Knoll High today but did not have to disrupt classes.”

Sarah Alexander —  digital communications coordinator for the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, which has jurisdiction over White Knoll — said of the department's response to the March 10 threat, “As always, our deputies responded to clear the school of any threat quickly and will continue to investigate the source of the threat.”

"The threat today came through a school app where multiple schools in California along with River Bluff High School were all listed," Lexington Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Cameron Mortenson told the Chronicle. "The threat was quickly deemed a hoax, but our SROs completed a search of the school out of an abundance of caution."

He additionally noted that all Lexington 1 schools inside the town limits have school resource officers on campus each day, and River Bluff has two officers regularly assigned to it.

“Lexington 1 administrators are extremely concerned and disappointed that systems put in place to help keep schools safe are being used to cause disruptions and to interfere with our ability to provide safe and nurturing environments for our students and employees,” Postlewait writes. 

“We truly want to find who is responsible and hold them accountable and we appreciate the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lexington Police Department working closely with us to do that. Anyone with information that may help with the investigation is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC (274-6372) or online at 888crimesc.com.”

The district has seen a wave of threats this week. A 13-year-old at Lakeside Middle School was charged after allegedly threatening a student at River Bluff and Gilbert High School generally on March 8 and a 14-year-old at River Bluff was charged after allegedly sending a bomb threat to his school later that same day. Lexington Police told the Chronicle about another threat received through the Batesburg-Leesville High School tip line on March 7 that named River Bluff and several other schools.

“While the threats communicated using the StopIt app are still under investigation, other investigations have resulted in students being charged,” Postlewait writes, going on to emphasize the importance of emphasizing to students the severe consequences of making any threat against a school.

“In the past few weeks, multiple students, including some in Lexington 1, have faced serious criminal charges as well as recommendations for expulsion from school,” she writes. “We all have important roles to play in keeping our schools safe including reminding our students that a social media post/message or text message is not worth these life-altering consequences.”