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West Warwick schools step up bathroom checks after three threats
West Warwick schools investigated three threats in recent weeks, including an unidentified message at the high school. The district says investigators found no evidence any of the threats involved a plan for violence.
West Warwick schools investigated three threats reported in recent weeks, and the district plans to increase checks of school bathrooms after a threatening message was found at the high school, Superintendent Karen Tarasevich said Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
Two threats were reported at the middle school and one at West Warwick High School. District officials worked with West Warwick police on all three investigations, Tarasevich said.
Investigators identified the students responsible for the middle school incidents and found no evidence of plans to carry them out. The students said their statements were jokes, according to the superintendent.
The high school investigation remains inconclusive because officials have not identified who wrote the message. Investigators found no evidence of a plan to act on it, and the district said it has no reason to believe the three incidents are connected.
The high school had increased police presence Friday following the bathroom message. Tarasevich said the district had included that information in a message to families Thursday night, after some parents said they had not received notice.
The district will conduct more checks of vacant school bathrooms for additional messages and to help identify who wrote them. Existing safety measures will remain in place, Tarasevich said.
If the person responsible is identified, police would be involved, alongside school discipline and mental health support if appropriate, she said. Tarasevich also urged families to talk with students about the effects of threatening statements, which can alarm the school community and require significant staff and police time to investigate.