Social media threat leads to extra security at Colorado Springs charter school

A Colorado Springs charter school was on heightened alert for a short time Monday because of something that was posted on social media.

CIVA Charter School executive director Randy Zimmerman confirms to KRDO NewsChannel 13 that administrators learned about the online threat this afternoon. The heightened alert status was in place for about the last hour of the day.

“I got a call at about 2 p.m., from a friend of a child who goes to CIVA, saying that I needed to go get my daughter,” Tracy Dufton, the parent of a student at CIVA.

She says her reaction was immediate.

“Panic, sheer panic, I was shaking,” she said.

She’s upset that no one told her anything until she received a pre-recorded phone call at 6 p.m. Monday.

Administrators responded saying students were not in danger and that they took the threat seriously.

Zimmerman said that students reported seeing the threat on social media. District 11 security and Colorado Springs Police are investigating.

Zimmerman noted that CIVA operates in a state of permanent lockdown. Visitors are required to be buzzed in to the building, the heightened security simply meant to students were not allowed to leave the premises. Classes will go on as scheduled Tuesday.

The student involved in the threat will not be in school for the foreseeable future, Zimmerman said.