AHS Reopens After Threats Deemed Unfounded
FBI probes more than dozen cases in Mass.
Photo courtesy Boston Globe
UPDATED: Arlington High School received threats on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 19, and all those in the schools were sheltering-in-place for a time before students were later dismissed. :Later, the school reopened after the threats were found to be without substrance.
The FBI joined local law enforcement looking into bomb threats phoned to more than a dozen schools in eastern Massachusetts, including Arlington, Waltham, Swampscott, Weymouth, Plymouth, Taunton, Billerica, Newton, Kingston, Ayer, Groton, Tewksbury, Salisbury and Westford.
At 12:18 p.m., Arlington police tweeted: “Threats at Arlington High School are unfounded. Multiple unattended backpacks searched and cleared. Incident is still under investigation.”
Ten minutes later, Principal Matt Janger wrote: “AHS has been cleared by the police. Activities will resume after 2:30 pm.
This means that Athletics, Community Education, School Council, Instrumental Music and other after school activities may go on as scheduled.
“Advisors, Coaches, and other instructors may notify their participants of any changes in their own schedule as a result of the evacuation today.”
Earlier, Chief Fred Ryan told The Boston Globe that the school received a robocall telephone threat that someone would detonate a bomb inside the school and then shoot students as they fled.
Ryan told The Globe his officers, Cambridge police and school the threat-assessment arm of the NEMLEC law-enforcement consortium have surrounded the school and are monitoring the area as students go through a phased exit ordered by Superintendent Kathleen Bodie.
Ryan told The Globe that law enforcement concluded the threat had “low credibility” but that Bodie decided to shut down for the day given that the threat talked about targeting students.
In a follow-up message at 12:55 p.m., the principal wrote:
“Today the high school received a phone threat. We were one of a number of area schools to receive a similar phone call. We made the decision to shelter-in-place while we assessed the risk and then made a decision to evacuate the school. Police supervised the evacuation. We had busses available to take students to Town Hall, if necessary. By acting deliberately, we were able to coordinate our response and ensure the most safety for the students. Following the evacuation, the police inspected the building and found the area clear of threats.
“I want to thank our students for their calm cooperation during this evacuation. Our teachers made sure that the building was clear, before exiting. Thanks to the parent/guardian community for picking up your students off-campus and waiting to hear information through our alert system. Thanks to the police for their expertise and care in making sure that we handled this event safely.
“We take any threats seriously and act with caution to make sure that school is and feels safe. Please remember, that school is an extremely safe place for students. Incidents like this raise many fears for parents and students, but are rarely dangerous. If your student is upset or concerned, Guidance and Social Work staff will be available on Wednesday to meet with students who need support.”
Here is what occurred earlier:
Janger reported at 9:32 this morning: “While we do not feel there is a significant threat,” he wrote in an email, “given recent threats to many regional schools, we are working closely with the police to make sure that the school is orderly and safe.
“We will notify parents and the community using this alert system, if we feel it is necessary to dismiss students. In the meantime, please don’t drive onto campus, as we will need the space clear to supervise the students.”
Shiortly after 10 a.m., administrators dismissed students from AHS, Arlington police said on its twitter feed. “The threat is not thought to be credible but taking all precautions necessary,” it said.
In an 10:18 a.m. update, Janger wrote: “Please don’t drive onto campus, as we will need the space clear to supervise the students.
“Students who are not able to go home will be gathered in the Town Hall. ”
Chief Ryan reported Jan. 15 that the Arlington police are investigating a bomb threat made against Arlington Catholic High School
Arlington police responded to the school, on Medford Street, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, after the school reported that someone had phoned in a bomb threat, a department news release says.
The school was evacuated, and out of an abundance of caution, the nearby St. Agnes School was dismissed early.
The Arlington schools were among at least nine schools across Massachusetts evacuated Jan. 15, or placed in safe mode as public safety agencies responded to bomb threats, BostonGlobe.com reported.
Superintendent’s statement
John Guilfoil, who provides public relations for Arlington police, said in a statement for Bodie released at 4:45 p.m. Jan 19:
“Today, at 8:55 a.m., Arlington Public Schools received a call where threats were made to the safety of our students, faculty and staff.
“This threat appears to be part of a widespread issue that affected multiple school districts across the state over the past two weeks. Despite the fact that this was a widespread issue, we take these threats very seriously. Given the police presence and investigation, and out of an abundance of caution, we decided it would be in our best interest to release students, faculty and staff for the day. This also prevented students and staff from having to stand outside in the cold while police conducted a sweep of the building.
“After police cleared the scene at noon, we reopened the building at 2:30 p.m. for athletic activities, community education, and other school business.
“We take any and all threats seriously and have implemented policies and procedures to ensure that the school remains a safe place at all times. However, we recognize that incidents like this may upset students, so our guidance department will be available on Wednesday to meet with anyone in need.
“We apologize for the disruption this morning, but thank our students, faculty, staff, and families for their cooperation during the evacuation, teachers for ensuring the building was clear before exiting, parents and guardians for picking up your children and waiting to hear information through our alert system and police for working diligently to ensure the building was safe for all to return.”