Student arrested, charged with terrorizing after threat at Port Allen High School
A 16-year-old Port Allen High School student has been arrested and charged with terrorizing after confessing to writing a threatening note found on campus on Sept. 3. The Sheriff's Office announced the arrest five days after the incident.
September 8, 2026
PORT ALLEN — A 16-year-old Port Allen High School student has been arrested and charged with terrorizing after confessing to writing a threatening note found on campus on Sept. 3, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.
Deputies responded to the school at approximately 9:30 a.m. that day after a written threat was discovered that referenced the online "Cat in the Hat" trend, a viral social media phenomenon that has disrupted schools across the country in recent weeks. School officials placed the campus under a hold procedure while detectives investigated.
Sheriff Jeff Bergeron said detectives identified the student responsible, who confessed to writing and leaving the note. The student was booked into a juvenile detention facility on a charge of terrorizing under Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:40.1. Under state law, terrorizing involves intentionally communicating that a crime of violence is imminent with the intent to cause fear or serious disruption. For adults, the charge can carry up to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, with enhanced penalties when directed at a school. Because the student is a juvenile, the case will more than likely be handled through the juvenile justice system.
"Our detectives took this threat seriously from the moment we were notified and worked diligently to identify the person responsible," Bergeron said in a statement. "We will continue to take every threat against our schools seriously and will hold those responsible accountable."
The arrest confirms details that were unclear in the days following the incident. The school's initial communication to parents on Sept. 3 described the note as "linked to a social media trend" but did not use the word "threat" or mention law enforcement involvement. Superintendent Chandler Smith said in an email to WBR Independent on Sept. 4 that the incident "turned out to be a non-credible threat." The Sheriff's Office, however, charged the student with terrorizing, a felony under Louisiana law.
WBRSO Sgt. Landon Groger confirmed to WBR Independent on the evening of Sept. 3 that the Sheriff's Office was investigating and that additional law enforcement would be present at the school the following day.
The WBRSO announcement came five days after the incident.
WBR Independent first reported the threat on Sept. 3.
John Summers
