Threatening voice message left at JDHS determined to be a prank

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on the first day of the school year, Friday, Aug. 15. 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / For the Juneau Independent)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

This story has been updated with additional information.

The Juneau Police Department, in an abundance of caution, has additional officers present at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé after being alerted to a threatening voice message on Thursday morning.

The school immediately notified the police department, which investigated. In an email sent to JDHS families, Principal Paula Casperson wrote the caller stated an intent to harm those inside the building, but JPD believes the message to be a prank.

"Based on details from the call, including background noises overheard, it is believed to be a prank," Casperson wrote.

In an interview, she said school is continuing as normal.

"Always, if you see something, we say something, and based on the information that we had at hand, it wasn't considered to be credible, and still, we implement our protocols," Casperson said.

Kristin Bartlett, chief of staff for the Juneau School District, wrote in an update Thursday that the caller has been identified "as a child who is not considered to be a credible threat to the school, and the call has been determined to be a prank with no intent to harm."

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.