Academy of Holy Angels cancels school Tuesday after threatening voicemail

School was suddenly canceled Tuesday at the Academy of Holy Angels.

The Richfield school said an "unforeseen emergency" led to the decision Tuesday morning.

School administrators said students will be able to ride a bus home. Otherwise, parents were urged to pick up their students "as soon as possible."

In a letter to families, administrators said someone left the school a voicemail implying an explosive device threat. Richfield police and staff evacuated the building out of caution but, by 9:30 a.m., K9 units had cleared the building.

The school said classes will resume Wednesday on a late-start schedule.

The Academy of Holy Angels said a similar threat was made Tuesday morning to a school with the same name in New Jersey. Administrators said Richfield police are now working with New Jersey law enforcement to investigate the incident, but they don’t believe Richfield’s school faced any threat.

"We thank you for your cooperation and want you to know that the safety of our students and staff is foremost in our minds, which is why we enacted today’s evacuation and are ready to return to school tomorrow," school officials said in the letter to families.

The school’s full message can be seen below.

In the early hours of January 18, 2022, an unknown person called Academy of Holy Angels and left a voicemail implying an explosive device posed a threat to the school. Out of an abundance of caution, AHA Administration and the Richfield Police Department evacuated the school building. Students who were in the building were directed by faculty to the Southwest Dome to wait for return rides home. Those who had not yet arrived on campus were instructed to return home. AHA enacted its emergency SchoolMessenger phone system and email alerting all community members to the school closure. By 9:30 a.m., explosive detection K-9 units from four local police agencies cleared the entire building and gave the all-clear message that a return to the school and campus was safe. School will resume on a Late-Start Schedule on Wednesday, January 19; first period begins at 8:25 a.m.

A similar threat was made this morning to Academy of the Holy Angels school in New Jersey. Police officials do not believe the threat was directed at Richfield’s Academy of Holy Angels. The Richfield Police Department is actively working in collaboration with New Jersey law enforcement to investigate the incident.

We thank you for your cooperation and want you to know that the safety of our students and staff is foremost in our minds, which is why we enacted today’s evacuation and are ready to return to school tomorrow.

In these incredible times, we ask for God’s guidance and blessings, as we continue to return to our normal routines and lives.
Tom Shipley Heidi Foley Mark Melhorn
President Principal Asst. Principal