# Los Angeles Closes 900 Schools Today Because of Terrorist Threat **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547 "2015-12-15T17:40:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/1 "2015-12-15T17:40:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Officials closed all Los Angeles Unified School District campuses Tuesday morning after receiving a “credible threat” of violence involving backpacks and packages left at campuses. > > Authorities said they plan a search operation of all of LAUSD’s more than 900 schools, including charter schools and special education centers. The nation’s second-largest school district, LAUSD has more than 700,000 students… > > Officials said the threat came in electronic form and was made to numerous but unspecified campuses. As a result, they made the decision to close all campuses for the day. > **[L.A. schools to reopen Wednesday; threat against schools was 'not credible,'...](https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-all-lausd-schools-closed-threat-20151215-story.html)** > > A crudely written email threat to members of the Los Angeles Board of Education prompted officials to close all 900 schools in the nation’s second-largest school system Tuesday, sending parents from San Pedro to Pacoima scrambling to find day care —... This is a crazy over-reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/2 "2015-12-15T17:41:33Z")
Sounds like some kid forgot to do his book report that was due today. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/3 "2015-12-15T17:54:48Z")
Seems a bit unorthodox for terrorists to issue vague warnings ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/4 "2015-12-15T18:03:25Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Sounds like some kid forgot to do his book report that was due today. [Or a student “activist” trying to manufacture something to be active against.](http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/12/arrest_made_in_kean_twitter_threat.html) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/5 "2015-12-15T18:16:41Z")
> [@Tithonus](#): > > Seems a bit unorthodox for terrorists to issue vague warnings ahead of time. Not when they know they’ve already won. I still say the best way to deal with terrorists is to ignore them, give them no press, and when something goes _bang_ you mark it up to a mechanical malfunction or a lone wolf crazy. Under the radar you research and pursue the hell out of whoever issued the threat/popped the bomb. But the whole purpose of terrorism is to disrupt daily life and turn people against their impotent leadership. The OP topic is an example of terror working as planned. No bombs needed anymore. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/6 "2015-12-15T18:20:13Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > This is a crazy over-reaction. Early reports seem to confirm your assessment. A single email from Germany threatening all the schools in both L.A. and N.Y. triggered this panic? Unless more information comes out about other intelligence that made such a tenuous and generic threat seem plausible, I think the LAUSD superintendent has been grossly irresponsible in closing the schools. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/7 "2015-12-15T18:23:56Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > Not when they know they’ve already won. I still say the best way to deal with terrorists is to ignore them, give them no press, and when something goes _bang_ you mark it up to a mechanical malfunction or a lone wolf crazy. Under the radar you research and pursue the hell out of whoever issued the threat/popped the bomb. But the whole purpose of terrorism is to disrupt daily life and turn people against their impotent leadership. The OP topic is an example of terror working as planned. No bombs needed anymore. The first time a threat is ignored and a bomb goes off, there _will_ be leaks to the press, and the lawsuits that follow will cripple the local government at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/8 "2015-12-15T18:58:38Z")
Fair, but I never said there weren’t risks. Just observing that we’ve recognized and legitimized terrorists for so long now that they can hold us hostage with mere words and I find that unacceptable. The objections you raise merely underscore my belief the press needs to be more strictly regulated, and government entities need immunity from legal action from their constituencies. Well, ok, maybe that’s not a great idea either. But still… ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/9 "2015-12-15T18:58:57Z")
NY simply ignored the threat, said it was preposterous. ---
**Author:** ![dopeuser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@dopeuser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dopeuser)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/10 "2015-12-15T19:07:30Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > A single email from Germany threatening all the schools in both L.A. and N.Y. triggered this panic? If you did not assume already, this was likely the reported IP due to use of a proxy (more likely than not it was Tor). ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/11 "2015-12-15T19:15:22Z")
> [@Vaevictis](#): > > NY simply ignored the threat, said it was preposterous. Yeah it’s interesting that the two systems went in complete opposite directions. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/12 "2015-12-15T19:18:36Z")
American schools are not going to let foreigners come and murder their kids. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/13 "2015-12-15T19:20:36Z")
> [@dopeuser](#): > > If you did not assume already, this was likely the reported IP due to use of a proxy (more likely than not it was Tor). I’m just going off what I heard on the radio driving to work. If all they had was a single anonymous email then shutting down the schools was a ludicrous over-reaction and only encourages more destructive stunts like this. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/14 "2015-12-15T19:20:49Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/15 "2015-12-15T19:20:52Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > American schools are not going to let foreigners come and murder their kids. The one thing we won’t outsource. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/16 "2015-12-15T19:32:00Z")
The NY police commissioner said there were errors in the email that indicated it wasn’t a true jihadist, like spelling the word Allah with a lowercase “a”. It will be interesting to hear if LA can provide a reason they gave the threat any credence beyond “but San Bernardino!” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/17 "2015-12-15T19:32:31Z")
Uh, did no one in the school consider that Star Wars premieres in LA today? Oldest trick in the book. Threat gets called in, schools close and happy students get the day off to see the premiere. I’ve read news articles about kids that called in a threat (of some kind) just to avoid taking a test. Not realizing how seriously it can be prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/18 "2015-12-15T19:36:44Z")
Uh, no it doesn’t. The big premiere was last night but the movie doesn’t open to the public until Friday (really Thursday). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/19 "2015-12-15T19:39:55Z")
\ I got nothin then. 😉 Star Wars premiere is all over todays news. Didn’t bother reading the articles because I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547/20 "2015-12-15T20:40:02Z")
Did the warning come from a guy named Simon? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/los-angeles-closes-900-schools-today-because-of-terrorist-threat/740547.md?page=2)