Girl, 15, charged after threat spurs Toronto school to cut year short

A 15-year-old girl has been arrested and charged after an anonymous threat prompted officials at Toronto’s Branksome Hall to end the school year early.

On Monday, June 13, Toronto police received a report of a threatening call received at a school near Mount Pleasant Road and Elm Avenue. The incident happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. and briefly resulted in Branksome Hall being placed under lockdown.

Officers attended the scene and determined the threats were “unfounded.”

No injuries were reported.

Students, however, were sent home for the remainder of the day.

That evening, the independent all-girls private school sent home a letter home to parents advising them that classes were cancelled for the rest of the school year. The last day of classes for the 2021-2022 school year at Branksome Hall was Tuesday, June 14.

In a statement provided to CP24 at the time, Branksome Hall spokesperson Liisa Stephenson said they decided to end the school year early after “carefully weigh(ing) the risks … against the safety of our community.”

She said Branksome Hall made arrangements for exams and worked with parents and staff to “find creative ways to wrap up the end of the year and celebrate our students’ accomplishments.” An on-campus graduation ceremony for the school’s Grade 12 students was held in May, while end-of-year ceremonies for those in Grades 6 to 11 were held “mostly virtual” this week, Stephenson noted.

On Monday, Toronto police arrested a 15-year-old girl.

The accused, who cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with threatening death, public mischief, and convey false message with intent to alarm. She has an Aug. 15 court date.

Anyone with further information should contact police at 416-808-5300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.