On the afternoon of the vote, December 11, a bomb threat note was discovered written on a bathroom wall outside the gym in Gowana Middle School. Most importantly, the district followed the standard procedure identified in its emergency management plan to keep students and staff safe and secure: the New York State Police were called; children were sheltered in place; no visitors were allowed into the building; and school personnel searched the building.
Unfortunately, the community vote on the track, field and pathways was temporarily interrupted and during that time approximately one dozen people were asked to wait while the building was secured. The poll workers were also sheltered in a safe area. Pursuant to state education law, the vote must be open for six consecutive hours and two hours after 6 p.m. The polls were open for 14 hours with a 20 minute interruption at approximately 2:20 p.m. So while this interruption was unfortunate, the vote meets the requirements.
A thorough investigation will be conducted by the school district and N.Y.S. Police to find the person responsible. Making a threat against a school is considered a felony in New York State. The persons involved will face criminal prosecution, as well as consequences in accordance the Shenendehowa Student Code of Conduct. Under the new Code of Conduct approved by the board on October 9, this is a Level IV infraction—the most serious of infractions subject to harsh punishment. Threats to a school disrupt valuable classroom time, use extensive community and school district resources and provide an atmosphere of concern throughout the community.
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