Lessons learned applied in Langley school lockdown

Lockdowns at two Langley schools, sparked by an apparent hoax threat, were the first time that revised procedures were put into place in the school district.

The incident on Friday, May 5 began with threatening electronic communications to some students at R.E. Mountain Secondary in Willoughby. The threat spread to more students via social media, and many of them immediately reported it to teachers, parents, and the school liaison officer.

From 9:20 to 10:20 a.m., both R.E. Mountain and the adjacent Peter Ewart Middle School were put into lockdown as a precaution.

Dozens of RCMP officers converged on the scene, but it quickly became apparent the threat contained no specific names or locations. Similar threats have apparently circulated recently at other schools in North America, and the incident appears to have been a hoax.

READ MORE: Lockdown at two Langley schools sparked by threats of ‘slaughter’

In the wake of the lockdown, school district staff debriefed with the affected students and offered counselling. Additional support was also available the following Monday, said school district spokesperson Joanne Abshire.

This was the second major lockdown in recent memory in Langley, following a lockdown at Walnut Grove Secondary and several nearby elementary schools in November 2022, after a report of a man with a rifle entering the high school.

That report turned out to be true, but not a danger. It turned out to be a staff member bringing a decommissioned rifle for a Remembrance Day ceremony.

“We learned many lessons from the lockdown that took place at Walnut Grove Secondary last fall,” said Abshire. “We listened to students, staff, and families about their concerns after that incident. On Friday, we put some of that learning into action especially with respect to communication.”

The district was able to communicate to families via email and text messages more quickly after this incident.

“Although it was a stressful event, the response from the school communities has been positive,” Abshire said.

The district is continuing to review emergency procedures with the RCMP.

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