UPDATE: CBHS attendance down because of ‘threat’

About half of Cherokee Bluff High School’s 1,200-plus student body was absent Thursday despite assurances from school officials that a threat aimed at the school on social media was not “credible.”

Hall County School System (HCSS) spokesman Stan Lewis said Thursday afternoon the high absenteeism was “very unfortunate because the (school) held a very informative and important assembly…regarding the dangers of vaping.” He added “It is disheartening that individuals can post inaccurate information and cause the type of disruption that we dealt with today.'”

EARLIER STORY:

Social media comments the past 12 hours or so have been alive with talk of a threat of violence at Cherokee Bluff High School. But the Hall County Schools Superintendent says it’s been investigated “thoroughly” and there’s nothing to it.

“Social media rumors continue to claim that there is a threat at Cherokee Bluff High School,” Will Schofield said Thursday morning. “Both school officials and law enforcement have investigated thoroughly and find no credibility to these rumors. We will continue to make safety our first priority and we look forward to another great day at Cherokee Bluff High School.”

Many parents took to social media to announce they planned to keep their children home Thursday because of an ongoing disruption of things at the school by one student. They also accused the student of making threats against the South Hall school and its students, getting into fights with students and school personnel, writing that he was going to “shoot up the school,” and bring a gun to school Thursday.