Milwaukee's Pius XI Catholic High School Classes Cancelled Amid Threatening Graffiti Incident

Pius XI Catholic High School, a Milwaukee educational institution, was forced to cancel classes and evacuate students today after a troubling discovery at the school's entrance. As reported by CBS 58, the administration encountered "graffiti of a threatening nature" early in the morning, prompting an immediate response that included alerting local law enforcement. The Milwaukee Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into the incident, further details of which were not disclosed.

According to a letter from Principal Ryan Krienke shared with TMJ4, students who arrived at school underwent bag searches, and protocols were put in place to ensure their safety including reorganized bus routes for an orderly departure or to wait for their parents in the fieldhouse or staying under staff supervision in the Union, with increased security measures like on-campus police presence. In the same communication, school leadership requested any information that could be provided regarding a person who was allegedly taped at the school around the time the vandalism took place.

Families were notably impacted by the decision to suspend the school day, as voiced by one student's grandmother who, in a statement obtained by CBS 58, described the situation "It’s scary: not only sad, it’s scary. I have little ones out here getting on the bus, and this is a whole high school, so it’s definitely scary," highlighting the stress placed on the school community by such threats. Parents who needed to collect their children were instructed to contact the school through email at [email protected], as per instructions in the letter from school authorities.

In the aftermath of the graffiti discovery, the broader implications on school security and student safety are expected to be a topic of discussion among Pius XI parents and the Milwaukee community. Coverage from Fox 6 Now also confirmed the cancellation of classes due to the threatening nature of the graffiti found, with the ongoing police investigation aiming to identify the perpetrator behind the unsettling act.