East Knox students to return to class after threat at high school

East Knox Superintendent Richard Baird said Tuesday afternoon that classes will resume at East Knox as scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The school has been closed since receiving an anonymous phone call Monday at 11:18 a.m. The subject stated they were armed and intended to enter the high school. The schools were immediately locked down and students were transported to the designated reunification location shortly afterward.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, as well as other local agencies, responded and secured the entire campus, conducted a full sweep and determined there was no active threat present.

Baird said in a press release there will be several additional safety measures in place Wednesday as students return to their classes. There will be increased law enforcement, weapons detectors will be in full use upon entry and students are asked to have any three-ring binders, band instruments, laptop computers or tablets and water bottles out of their bags before entering the school.

Social workers will be present in classrooms Wednesday to provide wellness checks and trauma support for any student needing assistance processing Monday’s events.

“Our school community is incredibly thankful to the Knox Count Sheriff’s Office for their response, professionalism, and support throughout this incident as well as the surrounding agencies that responded,” Baird said in the release.

Anyone with questions can call the East Knox offices (740-599-7000) during regular school hours, and anyone with information on the threat can call Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Matt White at 740-397-3333.