Prince George’s County police are investigating threats made in an attempt to silence a student who is speaking out about the closure of two alternative high schools in Maryland, according to NBC Washington.
Community Based Classroom in Bladensburg and Tall Oaks Vocational High School in Bowie are on the chopping block, which has elicited an emotional reaction from the students, parents and faculty.
Jade Mason, a student at Community Based Classroom, said she received a call from an unknown woman telling her not to speak about the closures at school board meetings.
“She said ‘do not speak at this Thursday’s meeting or any future budget meetings,'” Mason said during Thursday’s meeting of the Prince George’s County School Board.
“But I will not be silenced. To the woman who called, if you are here, you have only created more hopes for the future of CBC.”
Prince George’s County police are currently investigating that call after a police report was filed.
The principals of the two schools filed a lawsuit against Prince George’s County in 2019 over alleged unpaid wages.
“Both of those alternative schools happen to be my clients who are the principals, and we have a trial coming up in April,” their attorney, Mitchell Batt, told NBC Washington. “Whether or not there is a causal connection between those two, I don’t know, but it’s certainly something that piques our interest and we’re looking into it.”
A final decision on whether the schools will close will be made by the board later this month.
WTOP’s news partner NBC Washington contributed to this report.