A school in Bay County shut down Thursday due to unsubstantiated threats after a group of people displayed confederate flags near the school earlier this week.
After an investigation, the local sheriff's department and school officials say no credible threat was made against students and staff.
School officials say the rumored threats were likely in connection to a group of students that gathered just off school grounds Tuesday and Wednesday waving confederate flags.
Stephen Bigelow is the Superintendent of Bay City Public Schools. He said it’s not entirely clear why the students gathered.
“It was my understanding that at some point a student had a confederate flag that was on a vehicle and another student ripped the flag off of that vehicle and quote ‘nothing was done about it.’”
Bigelow said some students staged a counter-protest on Wednesday, standing in opposition to the display of Confederate flags.
He said people have a right to gather off the school's campus.
“But when that comes into the school and starts disrupting the day and when there are some racial implications that can be taken with it that’s when we have to step in.”
Bigelow said he has been in contact with the local NAACP about providing resources to address any potential racial tensions within the school.
Bigelow said the school was shut down due to the unsubstantiated threat - not because of any concerns about escalating protests between students.
He said classes are expected to resume normally on Friday.