PLATTEVILLE — The Platteville School District closed schools Monday for a cyberattack incident that was determined Monday morning to be “not credible.”
The school district announced in an email and phone and text messages Sunday night that a Platteville student “was the victim of a ‘swatting’ cyberattack,” and that the school district was working with law enforcement.
The school district then announced Monday morning that the threat — an online message to the school district “in which a bomb threat was issued as a means of extortion” “has been determined to be non-credible.”
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is investigating because the student who reported the threat lives outside the City of Platteville, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release Monday afternoon.
The investigation showed that the student was being extorted by a person using a social media app, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Craig Reukauf said there was no “actual bomb threat toward the school or any other location.”
“Swatting” is when a person makes a false claim to law enforcement of a major crime intending to provoke a police tactical-squad response.
Platteville police swept Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center, Westview Elementary School, Platteville Middle School and Platteville High School Monday, and officers were stationed at all four schools Tuesday.
After-school events were held Monday including a Platteville High School music concert and a Belmont/Platteville wrestling match at Lancaster High School.
The Sheriff’s Office, Platteville police and the state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating.
An email from superintendent Jim Boebel Monday morning said the school district “is committed to the safety of all students and staff. Through this commitment, additional school safety measures have been implemented along with our standard practices.”
Boebel’s email listed several school district safety and security policies, including locked doors in all schools, all visitors during school days entering through a locked vestibule into the four school offices and then being given photo ID to enter the schools, “working relationships with our local law enforcement agencies to improve safety guidelines,” administrators and counselors available to meet with student and staff “in need of support,” and annual staff training on safety topics. He said the school district recently installed safety film in high-traffic areas “to allow for additional moments of response time in the event of an emergency.”
The school district’s email also said that federal and state student privacy laws prevent the school district from naming students who make or are named in threats as well as punishment for students who make threats, including “the context of the threats,” such as identifying grade levels or classes.
The school district’s security policies include locking down school buildings in the event of incidents or threats near the schools, including the May 19 homicide–suicide in UW–Platteville’s Wilgus Hall, a March 2018 incident in which a gun was found before school in Mound View Park, and a March 2016 incident in which a gun was claimed to have been heard in a bathroom in a UW–Platteville Ullsvik Hall bathroom.
