Freshman expelled for bomb threat

An Oak Harbor High School freshman was expelled for making a bomb threat last week that prompted the school’s evacuation and delayed classes.

The school was emptied Tuesday, May 8 after somebody discovered a threat written on a note placed in a restroom. School administrators, firefighters and police officers searched the school before students could return to class. The incident lasted approximately one hour.

School officials were able to identify the suspect by monitoring video cameras and interviewing witnesses. The freshman girl confessed to making the bomb threat and she was expelled for one calendar year.

“There can be no tolerance of this kind of thing,” Principal Dwight Lundstrom said in a news release. “It’s not only highly disruptive, it’s a crime. There’s nothing funny about it.”

Video cameras were installed throughout the high school after a series of bomb threats disrupted classes in past years.

While useful in investigating everything from bomb threats to fights, the cameras are not the only tool used by officials.

“The vast majority of students know the difference between what is right and what is wrong,” Lundstrom said. “They do a good job policing themselves and are willing to step forward when they see a crime committed.”