Graphic Threat Calls Prompt School Lockdowns, Ongoing Hearing in Humboldt

Law enforcement officers testified on Jan. 6, 2026 about a campaign of threatening phone calls received by multiple Humboldt County schools and other local institutions in March. According to testimony presented during the preliminary hearing for Daryl Jones, some calls included specific and graphic threats to kill or sexually assault children. Several schools were placed on lockdown while staff members had frightening interactions with the caller. Jones was arrested in March, and testimony has focused on the content of the calls, police responses and investigative steps; the preliminary hearing remains ongoing.

The immediate impact on students, teachers and families was significant. Lockdowns interrupted classes and school routines, and staff described traumatic encounters with the caller that left teachers and administrators managing fear and uncertainty alongside their educational responsibilities. For parents and guardians, the episodes renewed anxieties about on-campus safety and the ability of local systems to prevent and respond to threats that target children.

Beyond the immediate security response, the incidents raised public health concerns that extend into mental health and school-based support services. Repeated threats and lockdowns can produce acute stress, anxiety and, for some students, exacerbation of existing mental health conditions. Humboldt County schools and community providers face the challenge of addressing both short-term trauma and longer-term needs in a rural setting where behavioral health resources are often limited and unevenly distributed.

The hearing testimony also highlighted questions about emergency preparedness, communication protocols and the coordination between law enforcement, schools and county health services during crises. Ensuring timely, trauma-informed responses requires bolstering school counseling capacity, expanding access to pediatric mental health care and strengthening crisis intervention teams that can work alongside law enforcement without sidelining mental health needs.

There are equity implications as well. Students from low-income families, children with disabilities and those who rely on school-based services may be disproportionately harmed by interruptions to schooling and by barriers to mental health care. The episodes underscore the need for policies that prioritize preventive resources in schools most likely to lack them, and for investment in community behavioral health that reaches rural and marginalized populations.

As the preliminary hearing continues, local leaders and service providers will need to translate the investigative record into concrete steps that restore a sense of safety and provide accessible, culturally competent support for students and staff. For Humboldt County, the case is a reminder that public safety and public health are intertwined, and that protecting children requires coordinated attention to law enforcement response, school preparedness and equitable mental health access.