A Friday morning letter from the Dunkirk City School District attempted to reassure families of secondary school students about “specific student comments that were reported to us” this week.

The letter was signed by Corey Markham, director of secondary education for the school district.

Markham stated a Tuesday visit to the school by a Dunkirk Police Department K-9 unit was “routine, pre-planned” and “a scheduled exercise … not prompted by any specific threat or incident.”

Markham wrote, “Over the last two days, the administration investigated specific student comments that were reported to us. In each case, we followed our safety protocols to thoroughly investigate each allegation with our school resource officer. While the intent of the comments was not threatening, the impact is real. We want our students to be emotionally and physically safe at school. The actions by a few have impacted many.”

He offered no information about the students involved, or disciplinary actions taken, “due to student privacy laws and strict confidentiality protocols.”

Markham stated that the DCSD administration does “not have the luxury of assuming intent; we must react to the actions… These situations, even when unintentional, can carry significant and life-altering consequences for the students involved.”

Markham asked for “partnership in reinforcing this message at home. Please talk with your children about the weight of their words, whether spoken in the hallway or posted on social media. Remind them that a ‘joke’ regarding school safety is never just a joke.”