Metro Nashville school district responds to parents’ concerns after false school threat
Parents said it took nearly 40 minutes for them to be alerted to what was going on.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Janet O’Neal rushed to John Overton High School Monday with a lot of questions following a false school threat.
“We didn’t know if we were walking into a mass shooting, we didn’t know if he was walking into our kids never coming home,” O’Neal said.
Metro Nashville Police said they received two calls of an active shooter at the school, which was immediately placed on lockdown. However, both were false calls, and no weapons were found at the school.
Parents, like O’Neal, said it took nearly 40 minutes for them to be alerted to what was going on.
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O’Neal added, “They could’ve sent a text, ‘Hey we’re on lockdown more will come as we get it.’”
WSMV4 reached out to Metro Nashville Public Schools about those concerns. The district said while principals try to keep parents informed quickly — their first priority is securing the building.
MNPS also said since many students have cell phones sometimes the students contact their parents before they can send out a callout.
O’Neal feels an immediate notification would’ve helped everyone involved.
“I feel that if they would’ve done that it would’ve been less chaotic up here. Don’t sit there and tell me you can’t tell me about my children.”
The district says after any incident like Mondays, they will continue to review and refine their emergency response.
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