Pine Hill Middle School investigating student threat posted on social media

HEPHZIBAH — Pine Hill Middle School in Hephzibah is under increased police presence Thursday after administrators discovered a threatening social media post made by a student the evening before.

What We Know: School officials learned of the post Wednesday evening and immediately contacted law enforcement. By Thursday morning, Richmond County School System Police and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office were investigating, and additional officers were stationed on campus as classes continued on a normal schedule.

Confirmed Information: Principal Dr. Gregory Shields notified families of the incident Thursday in a letter, describing the discovery and the school’s response.

“In an effort to keep you informed, I want to make you aware of a safety concern reported to our school yesterday evening,” Shields wrote. “Administrators were made aware of a threatening social media post made by a student. Richmond County School System Police and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately and investigated the incident. The matter is being addressed in accordance with our Code of Student Conduct and Discipline and applicable laws.”

Shields told families that normal instruction would continue despite the heightened security. “As an added precaution, RCSS Police will maintain an increased presence on campus throughout the school day,” he wrote.

The school has not publicly identified the student involved or described the specific nature of the threat.

In his letter, Shields urged families to take an active role in preventing similar incidents. “We take all threats involving our students and schools seriously and respond quickly to protect the safety and well-being of our school community,” he wrote. “Please have a conversation with your child, monitor their social media activity, and remind them to consider the impact of actions on and off campus. We ask families and students not to share or repost threatening content on social media. Instead, please report any concerning information directly to school administrators, law enforcement or our anonymous Safety Tip Line at (706) 828-1077 so it can be investigated promptly.”

Pine Hill Middle School is part of the Richmond County School System. The school dealt with a separate, unrelated matter in September, when a third-party vendor was removed from campus following reports of inappropriate contact or communication with students.