Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, was placed under a shelter-in-place order Wednesday, October 7, after a phone threat prompted a security response at the private boarding school.
According to information provided by the academy to parents, the phone threat triggered the emergency response and led school officials to instruct students to remain on campus and stay inside their buildings. Exeter police confirmed officers were at the academy while an investigation into the threat was underway.
Unlike a full lockdown requiring students to remain in individual rooms, the instructions reported by the school allowed students to move around within their buildings but prohibited them from leaving campus. The measure was put in place while authorities worked to determine the credibility and circumstances surrounding the reported threat.
At this time, authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific contents of the phone threat or identified who may have made it. There was also no immediate report of injuries connected to the incident.
The situation prompted concern among students, parents and members of the Exeter community as law enforcement investigated the report. Phillips Exeter Academy maintains its own campus safety operation and has a 24-hour dispatch center that works directly with first responders and local authorities.
The academy’s safety procedures provide for emergency notifications and lockdown or shelter-in-place measures when authorities determine that additional precautions are necessary. The school’s published safety guidance instructs community members to follow emergency notifications and remain in designated safe locations during an active security incident.
The investigation remained ongoing Wednesday afternoon, and officials urged members of the academy community to follow instructions from school administrators and law enforcement.
Phillips Exeter Academy, founded in 1781, is a residential secondary school with more than 1,000 students in Exeter. The campus includes academic buildings, residential facilities and other student spaces, making coordinated emergency communication an important part of its safety response.
This is a developing story. Further details about the phone threat, the police investigation and when normal campus operations will resume are expected as officials provide additional information.
