PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth Catholic Regional School closed early Tuesday after threats were made against the school.
The Diocese of Richmond's Office of Catholic Schools provided families with information about the situation. Superintendent Ray Honeycutt said the decision to close the school "was made because of comments brought to the attention of the administration that raised concerns about safety."
Honeycutt went on to say that his office was working with the Portsmouth Police Department and the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office and that there would be additional patrols around the school for the rest of the week.
The threats came during Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic schools nationwide.
Here's the full message that families received from Honeycutt:
Out of an abundance of caution, the Superintendent for Richmond Catholic Schools, Ray Honeycutt, has closed Portsmouth Catholic Regional School today (Tuesday, Jan. 29th). The decision to close the school was made because of comments brought to the attention of the administration that raised concerns about safety. The Office of Catholic Schools has been working with local law enforcement agencies including Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office and Portsmouth Police Department. After consulting with them the decision has been made that it is safe to open the school tomorrow. There will be additional police patrols for the remainder of the week just as an added precaution.
We apologize for any inconvenience the closing of school brought today during Catholic Schools Week, a time when many events were planned for the school. However, nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students and staff and ensuring a safe environment for them.