JOSHUA ALLAN

The 1019 REPORT

A teenager has been arrested and could face charges following a police investigation into threats made on social media that involved Westwood Senior High School in Hudson late last month.

The threatening messages posted online led to Westwood Senior High School in Hudson keeping its doors closed Wednesday, Sept. 27, as a “precautionary measure,” said school officials. Students and staff were asked to stay home as Sûreté du Québec officers conducted an investigation, which led to the arrest of one teenage suspect. The nature of the threats was not disclosed. Westwood Junior High School was not affected.

Students and staff at Westwood Senior returned to the classroom on Thursday, Sept. 28, after the SQ determined that it would be safe to do so.

“On Tuesday evening, there were certain social media posts that were flagged and, as a result of those, the school contacted the school board and both parties contacted the Sûreté du Québec,” explained Darren Becker, a spokesperson for the Lester B. Pearson School Board. As the police investigation continued, the decision was made to keep the school closed for the day.

“As you are aware, we were closed today as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our students and staff following threats that were made on-line,” read a post to the school’s Instagram page on Wednesday written by Westwood Senior High School principal Elaine Fraser. “The (Pearson school board) has been collaborating fully with the Quebec Provincial Police following the threats.”

“We kindly request your attention and mindfulness when it comes to comments and posts on social media,” the post continued. “In today’s interconnected world, the things we say and share online can have a profound impact on our children and their well-being.”

The school also shared this message through letters and emails sent directly to parents, further clarifying the situation and reasoning behind the closure.

“The teen who wrote those (threats) was arrested pretty soon after,” said Louis-Philippe Ruel, a public relations officer with the SQ.

Neither the school nor the SQ offered information about the juvenile suspect. Nor would either source confirm whether the suspect was a student at the school.

Charges against the youth have yet to be confirmed with the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales. However, Ruel explained that uttering threats is expected to be among them.

“There are support teams from the school and the school board, in terms of if anyone needed psychological support, or anyone who needed any kind of support,” Becker said, adding that these services will be ongoing.

The school’s Instagram post from principal Fraser also included a message to the parents of students: “Should your child need assistance following this event, please contact us so we can help ensure support is provided.”