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The Peekskill City School District announced the graduation ceremony venue change earlier this month from the high school field to the Paramount Center For The Arts. The district mailed a letter to residents that the venue had been changed after a "credible threat aimed at the graduation ceremonies" was received, district officials said previously. The ceremony is now scheduled for 2 p.m. June 23 at the Peekskill Center For The Arts.
"We had received a credible threat aimed at the graduation ceremonies and that threat has been addressed by the Peekskill City Police Department," Superintendent Jim Willis said previously in the letter. "Several discussions have been held between the Superintendent, the Board of Education, the Chief of Police, the District’s head of security and city police. Based upon the recommendation of the police and after great deliberations, the decision has been made to move the graduation site from the high school parade field to the Paramount Theater."
Peekskill Chief of Police Eric Johansen said the threat dated back to March.
"In March, School officials contacted Peekskill police after finding a threat on a social media site," Johansen said in an emailed statement. "Our detective unit immediately performed an investigation, deemed the threat credible and arrested a 17-year old male student."
Johansen said the student, whose name is being withheld, was expelled from Peekskill High School and had not returned.
"Although there have been no further threats since March, we have decided to move graduation to the City’s newly-reopened Paramount Theater, in an overabundance of caution," Johansen said in the statement. "Having the ceremony moved to the Paramount helps us to provide an even more secure venue so our students and their families can have extra piece of mind on graduation day—a great day for the students, the school and the city."
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