First Posted: 3/25/2015
ELIDA — Just over a year since a shooting and bomb threat was made last year on Twitter, Elida High School received another one Wednesday after a student found a note in a school bathroom.
Superintendent Tony Cox said the student turned it in to a teacher who then notified the administration around 11 a.m. The note contained a threat claiming a shooting would happen around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
With three new school resource officers employed by the district as of Monday, officials immediately had them come and investigate, placing the school under lock down for about an hour and 30 minutes. Other representatives from surrounding local law enforcement agencies were also present.
Cox said when the board approved officers’ employment March 17, they had no idea a threat was made or going to be.
“There was no expectation,” he said. “We just reacted to what was found in the bathroom today.”
Though resource officers found no evidence of a real threat, suspecting a prank, school officials decided to err on the side of caution for students’ best interests and announced an early release at about 12:45 p.m., sending a text alert out to parents shortly after.
“We thought the students were safe, however, we wanted to take that extra step,” Cox said.
After reviewing security camera footage of students entering and exiting the bathroom throughout the day, officials interviewed possible culprits or informants but have not identified who made the threat. Cox said the threat will remain under investigation and, if able to determine who made the threat, will pursue the most serious punishment possible.
“We take this very seriously,” Cox said.
After the student who made the threat was identified last year, she faced the possibility of jail time after being suspended and was ultimately placed under electronic house arrest. The threat came shortly after an Elida Middle School student threatened to stab staff and peers with knives he brought to school. He turned himself in before carrying out his plan, however, and also faced legal repercussions.
The most recent incident comes at a sensitive time for the district, as the school board works to update district safety plans and policies and is considering the possibility of arming teachers for protection against incidents or threats to student safety, for scenarios similar to the threat made Wednesday. The topic has been a source of debate and concern for community members and school employees but has not yet been addressed in a community forum or voted on by the school board.
Cox said further information regarding the incident was sent out to parents by letter and all activities scheduled for Wednesday evening were canceled. The district will also determine at a later time how and when students will make-up the school day.
