Tuesday, a WHAS11 News investigation revealed a breach in security at one Jefferson County public high school.

WHAS11 News has now learned that the security breach may have been more serious than first acknowledged by the school system.  A school official now tells us that every school received a recommendation to follow tighter security procedures.  School principals were told to follow those tighter procedures one day before our investigation.

Tuesday, this WHAS11 WASWHAS11 employee entered Atherton High School through a back door.     A student happened to be holding open a door and our employee was able to walk in.  From this letter and in conversations we’ve had with school officials, we’ve learned that all schools should have been following “Building Security Level 3.”

Also Online

View this story

That’s something that was confirmed in an interview with the school safety director yesterday.

“We sent out an e-mail to all our schools to be on high alert to be suspicious of strangers in your building to watch your neighborhood to make sure if you see anything suspicious to call police of security,” Security Director Maurice Risner said

The e-mail was sent to all schools Monday evening at 6:51 P.M.  It was in response to school shooting across the country.  The WHAS11 News investigation was conducted Tuesday.

The e-mail says, “We have not received any information or law enforcement intelligence indicating that there is any credible threat against a Jefferson County Public School… Increased building security will help reduce anxiety among parents and staff created by the recent school shootings.”

And the directive says this, “We recommend that all schools increase their security posture to Building Security Level 3.”

Security Level three is part of the JCPS safety procedures manual.

It says, “All external entrances are locked and under staff control from ingress,” meaning going in or entering.

There was no one, other than a student, at the back door that our employee walked in.  According to the procedures manual under a security level 3, “Staff will greet visitors and escort them to the office.”

When the WHAS11 employee walked through that back door, he happened to head toward the office. Once he was near the office, he was stopped by the assistant principal who asked him to sign in. Our employee signed in, showed his driver’s license and was issued a visitor’s pass.

Jefferson County high schools each have dozens of doors.  The safety chief admits monitoring them and greeting people at every door isn’t possible.

“Yes, sometimes with that many schools and so many doors and things like that.  Things are going to happen we’re not going to be one hundred percent,” Risner said.

The WHAS11 employee was cited by police for criminal trespass.  Since WHAS11 News broadcast the results of our investigation, we have learned that at least 2 Jefferson County schools conducted lock-down drills.

Web story produced by K. Alison Brotzge