North Salem Schools Warn of 'Fake' Cyberbullying Texts

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem school officials are alerting parents to two recent incidents of cyberbullying.
According to Principal Vince DiGrandi, several high school students have received text messages that contain “inappropriate comments.”

“These comments are often specific to certain individuals or groups, which makes us believe this is not random, yet calculated, and originating from another student or students at the school,” he wrote in an email.

The Westchester County Police are investigating the matter.

Acting Superintendent Dr. Adam VanDerStuyf said last week that it was “important to note that no student, faculty, staff, or buildings were threatened at any time.”

“Unfortunately, the numbers that were provided, 203-864-6482 and 825 609-5161, are spoofed from one of many apps that you can download from the internet (often free, but some have fees like Text Now),” DiGrandi said.

Parents are being asked to talk to their children about the “fake” texts and have them report any they may have received to the district for “documentation purposes.”

If they have any information at all or overheard “someone talking about it, etc.” they should report that as well, DiGrandi said.

“As always, students can speak with a trusted adult or report using the (Sandy Hook Promise) Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, which can be found on our website homepage,” he added.