Keilor Downs College was on high alert this morning after social media posts warned clowns were expected to pay the school a visit.
School principal Linda Maxwell alerted parents late on Wednesday night that students had told teachers the school was a potential target of the clown trend currently sweeping across the world.
The craze, which involves people dressing up as a clown and stalking the streets in an attempt to threaten and intimidate others, emerged recently in the US and is being replicated worldwide.
In an internal email to parents, Ms Maxwell said police had asked the school to take the online threats seriously.
“They believe that these groups are adults whose aim is to threaten and intimidate,” she stated.
Students were cautioned not to provide support or encouragement to the activity and parents were asked not to comment on social media about the trend.
Creepy clowns holding pretend knives and a cap gun have terrified motorists in Melbourne’s south-east t.co/huB0WyF27e pic.twitter.com/MuLNj9yZ1p
— The Age (@theage) October 11, 2016
“The police are on alert tomorrow and will be making regular patrols past the school.
“They also have a response team ready to deal with these issues and have been clear that criminal charges will be laid,” Ms Maxwell said.
“All perimeter gates will be locked and the front entrance will be closely monitored.”
Trish MacMahon, whose son is in Year 7 at the school, said she was initially concerned but was impressed the school had addressed the students’ concerns proactively.
“They listened to the kids, I like the fact the principal believed them and listened to them,” she said.
Ms MacMahon said her son was initially worried but was placated by the steps the school was taking to ensure students’ safety.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said Keilor Downs police sent a patrol out to check on the school this morning but no clowns were spotted.
The Keilor Downs school is the latest Victorian school to have been affected by the ominous clown trend.
On Tuesday, Trinity College in Colac went into lockdown after receiving threatening phone calls saying clowns were going to invade the school grounds.
Students were asked to stay indoors for almost an hour as a precaution.
On the same day St Columba’s College in Essendon went into lockdown following alleged sightings of clowns outside the school grounds.
Police later said the incident wasn’t clown related. But officers found a mask hanging over a passenger seat of a car parked near the school.
Earlier in the week clowns were also spotted near Elsternwick Primary School.
Keilor Downs College has been contacted for comment.
