McCann Tech Deems Social Media Threat 'Not Credible' After Police Investigation

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School officials confirmed Thursday that a threatening social media post directed at the school was found to be a illagitaemt following an investigation by the North Adams Police Department (NAPD).

School administrators notified families that the NAPD determined the social media account responsible for the post was not legitimate and there is no credible threat to the campus.

"The post did contain threatening content to McCann Tech, but after investigation by NAPD it was found that the threat was NOT credible and that the social media account was NOT legitimate," the school stated in a message to the community.

Principal Justin Kratz noted in another communication that the fake social media threat started with an Artificial Intelligence hoax featuring a created picture of a post. 
 
"There is no evidence to suggest the hoax-post was ever actually posted on any social media or linked to a real social media account but instead it was an AI-generated image of a post that never really existed on social media," Kratz wrote.
 
He said NAPD identified the person responsible for creating the post.

While authorities have concluded that students and staff are not in any danger, McCann officials requested an increased police presence at the school on Thursday morning. The school emphasized that this measure is being taken out of an "extreme abundance of caution" to help students and families feel comfortable starting the day.

Following the internal notification from McCann, North Adams Public Schools (NAPS) issued an "all-call" to its own district families Thursday morning.

"North Adams Public Schools will continue to operate using its standard safety procedures," the NAPS statement read, echoing the police department's conclusion that there is no active threat to local students.

McCann is part of the Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational Technical School District, not NAPS.

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Q&A with State Representative Challenger Andrew Fitch

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On Sept. 1, voters in the First Berkshire District will decide whether they want to send a new representative to Beacon Hill in Boston.
 
Andrew Fitch, currently a city councilor in the district's largest municipality — and the commonwealth's smallest city — is challenging former North Adams Mayor John Barrett III, who won the First Berkshire seat in a 2017 special election, in the Democratic Party primary.
 
There is no Republican on the primary ballot for the First Berkshire seat so the primary will effectively be the election for the seat. 
 
The two candidates met for their only debate on Aug. 13 at Williams College. iBerkshires.com reached out to both candidates to follow up on some of the points raised in the debate and get their thoughts on some other issues facing the district.
 
Below are excerpts from a conversation with challenger Andrew Fitch:
 
Question: From the very beginning, you talked about the campaign as a listening experience, and this week you're continuing that with the bike tour …
 
Andrew Fitch: Knocking on doors that have never been knocked on before. … I was riding through, I believe it was Hinsdale coming into Windsor, and they started to yell at me, 'No!' And then the guy was like, 'Wait a second. That's Andrew Fitch.' They actually knew who I was, and they were actually wanting to chat with me.
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