Published Thursday, April 29, 1999
A female student on Friday threatened to kill students in the school. She claimed to know the two boys who killed 13 people and themselves at their high school in Littleton, Colo., and felt the same thing should happen at Sharon.
"Unsubstantiated," said high school Principal Robert Alcaro.
The same student was expelled Monday for saying she planted a bomb at the high school. But she showed up Tuesday at school and was dressed in black.
"Completely unsubstantiated," Alcaro said.
When she came to school Tuesday she was carrying a gun and had a hit list with the names of about 50 students on it.
"Absolutely ludicrous," Alcaro said.
The escalating rumors at the high school culminated in an alleged bomb threat Wednesday, set to go off at 10:20 a.m. At no time was such a threat made to a school official, Alcaro said, adding that the police were notified of the rumors. Reportedly, the bomb threat showed up on an Internet chat room Tuesday night.
Students who were afraid for their safety were permitted to call home or sign out of school Wednesday.
About 580 students, roughly half of the student body, left.
"Some of the students were looking at this as a vacation day, and I'm certain others were legitimately concerned," Superintendent Richard Rossi said.
Rossi said he believes many of the students see the threats as a way to get out of school.
"I saw a lot of laughter," Rossi said about the students leaving school. "It says to me that they are taking an opportunity to pull a kid prank. It's a good way to get out of school legally. I have seen no one in tears. There was some anxiety with younger students, but that's it."
Rossi said he's unsure how many days this can continue. If it does continue, the students will make the days up at the end of the school year.
"The shootings at Columbine are fueling this," Alcaro said of the rumors.
In the case of the girl suspected of making threats, he said: "An innocuous remark was made and from that, there's a hit list and a bomb in the building."
Alcaro said the student told him other students were laughing about some of the events in Littleton.
"And she said to the students, 'If you think this is so funny then maybe it should happen here,' " he said.
Alcaro said he has been in "constant contact" with the girl's family. Because of the rumors, the student is on homebound education for the remainder of the year and will not be permitted back into the building next year without medical approval, he said. Her parents agreed to the school's recommendation.
"She has been nowhere near the school since 8 a.m. Monday," Alcaro said.
Despite that, the school, police and The Herald were flooded with calls from frantic parents about Wednesday's rumor of a bomb threat.
While parental concern is understandable, Alcaro said the rumors "bred hysteria."
"At no point and time was I going to jeopardize the health and welfare of the students," he said, adding the school was checked Wednesday.
School officials feel the building is secure and said parents should trust that the administration is watching out for the safety of the students. Rossi noted that surveillance cameras were installed in the high school the week before the incident at Columbine High School.
"We believe it is so secure that even the police are not here right now," Alcaro said Wednesday at the height of the bomb threat hysteria. "They would be here if we felt that safety was in question."
Parent Theresa Stinedurf, who called The Herald to report the alleged bomb threat, said she felt the school administration was not looking into threats by students.
"They shouldn't just treat it like a rumor," Ms. Stinedurf said. "I want to know what they plan to do to protect our children. No one has told us that."
Ms. Stinedurf said she would like to see metal detectors in the school but couldn't offer any suggestions beyond that.
"There has to be something that can be done," said the mother of a junior and a freshman.
The school did receive a bomb threat April 9. The students were evacuated and the building searched. Students returned to the building after the designated time of the explosion passed, but "a month ago we didn't have Littleton, Colo.," Alcaro said.
"The school has done nothing to give us piece of mind," said Ms. Stinedurf, who acknowledged knowing nothing about the earlier threat. "We just want to know that the kids are safe."
