WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's been a week of frustration for some parents of kids attending Wayne-Westland Community Schools after a lockdown, school closure and districtwide cyberattack disrupting phone and internet service.
Parent Lanisha Streeter pulled her kids out of school early on Thursday because of it.
"I have no clue what’s going on right now,” Streeter said. "I’ve been here maybe 15 minutes, it's been like six to seven parents coming to get their children. So I think all of the parents are following suit.”
Streeter is among a group of parents that did not receive the emails from the district explaining what happened and heardsecond hand from other parents.
They visited the administration building where they received printed out copies of about three mass emailed notices that were also posted online under district news page.
"My kids will be at home until further information,“ Streeter said.
The district sent 7 News Detroit the following statement:
As you are aware, our District recently experienced a cybersecurity event that impacted certain systems within our computer network. Our team is actively working with computer forensic specialists to restore affected systems. At this time, we are still without internet access and phone service. While we address this disruption, please be assured that all schools will remain open as scheduled.
We understand that this situation may cause some inconvenience, and we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore full services. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more and make progress.
We also understand your concerns regarding communication and safety during this time. Please know the following measures are in place:If you need immediate assistance regarding your child or to reach a staff member, please email info@wwcsd.net. Messages sent to this address will be forwarded to the appropriate staff.
- Principals and other staff are able to continue to use cell phones for communication.
- All school entry doors remain locked and secure.
- School administrators are still equipped with walkie-talkies to maintain communication.
- Staff will continue to check photo IDs of adults picking up students.
- Wi-Fi hotspots have been distributed to all school offices to maintain connectivity.
We will keep you updated as the situation evolves and are working to restore full communication as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Curry
Interim Superintendent
Because of the cyberattack combined with the fact that her son attends the school that received the "possible threat" being investigated by Wayne police, Bernadine Wellday kept her kids and grandkids at her house on Thursday.
“I felt that it wasn’t a safe environment. After the two threats and then them having no backup services, I don’t feel like walk talkies and room to room is enough for that many students," said Wellday.
She also has a grandson who relies on his tablet to learn.
“It’s a safety issue. I also have an autistic child. He uses the internet for his lessons and there’s really nothing for him to do if he went to school," Wellday said.
Mya Clinkscales did send her child and plans to continue.
"If you don’t send your kids to school, they send truancy after you, so gotta send them with cellphones and pray,” Clinkscales said.
The district told 7 News Detroit the school is safe, secure using alternative methods and plans to share more details on Friday.
