STACYVILLE, Maine — One day after a threat was found in a girls bathroom, students at Katahdin Middle-High School were back in the classroom.
Katahdin Middle-High School Principal Shelley Lane said in a letter on the district’s Facebook page Tuesday evening that the school was searched by members of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and no credible evidence was found for any type of threat.
“We evacuated our building because we had ‘writing on the wall’ with a threat to our school,” Lane wrote. “Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of everyone, it was best to execute our emergency plan.”
The school did not reveal the nature of the message found in the bathroom.
An automated alert message went out to families early Tuesday morning and buses were loaded to return students to their homes or alternate destinations. Staff were notified and asked to remove themselves from the building until given approval to return.
“I appreciate the swift response from our bus drivers who took students home, to our office staff who made calls and announcements, to Mrs. Robinson who followed up with progress and supported the procedures, to all staff who calmly, swiftly and confidently walked students to the buses,” Lane wrote. “The staff demeanor certainly aided the students in remaining calm and not feeling threatened. I appreciate everyone who trusted the process. It is difficult to trust the process when, thankfully, we don’t use it very often.”
At 11:10 a.m., deputies from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office completed a walkthrough of the building and conducted their investigation, reporting that there did not appear to be any immediate threat.
At 1:40 p.m., two police detectives from Augusta with their dogs swept the building. Based on the evidence, the judgment of authorities and experience of the officers, the building was deemed safe to open Wednesday morning.
The district is asking anyone with information on who may have left the message to contact Lane at Slane@RSU89.org or by stopping into the school’s office.
“We need to join together and end these disruptions from our daily learning,” Lane said. “Not only is it a disruption, but it is also a crime. We will not tolerate putting our community in jeopardy. This is more than an inconvenience and it will come with harsh penalties.”
