Michigan Teacher Arrested, Accused of Leaving Inappropriate Notes

A middle school teacher in Michigan has been arrested after being accused of leaving multiple handwritten, problematic notes in faculty work areas, according to local media. The teacher at Jefferson Middle School in St. Clair Shores, Mich., was placed on administrative leave and arrested on Friday, Dec. 17.

Lakeview Public Schools Superintendent Karl Paulson said in a letter to families that the suspect was discovered through the school’s video security system. “One of the notes appeared to be an attempt at making a false threat in the hope of closing school,” wrote Paulson. “Based on the facts, information and timeline, the team was confident everyone was safe, and there was no need for initiating any lockdown or other safety protocols.”

Authorities have not released the name of the employee in question. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido referred to the suspect as a “she” and confirmed that she was a teacher at the school.

The arrest comes in the wake of the Oxford High School shooting less than 40 miles away, as well as a recent TikTok challenge encouraging students to call in shooting or bomb threats to their schools. Local police are still investigating, and local prosecutors confirm they have uncovered enough evidence to charge the suspect.

“Of course, she’s innocent until proven guilty, and all of this will come out in court. But this doesn’t help with everything that’s been going on recently,” said Lucido. “If you’ve got teachers making threats, how safe do you think the parents are going to think that school is?”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

  • K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

    CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market. The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. Read Now

  • Survey: Fewer Than 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now