4J school board discusses SEHS bomb threat

The school board hears about the bomb threat at South Eugene High School on May 3.

[00:00:06] Superintendent Andy Dey: At approximately 12:15 today, we received notification from our partners at the Eugene Police Department of a repeated call to the Central Lane 911 dispatch center regarding the possible bomb threat at South Eugene High School.

[00:00:19] We immediately initiated incident command systems, evacuated the building, and set in motion both communication and parent reunification procedures.

[00:00:27] The students and staff swiftly responded by following our evacuation procedures and exited the building.

[00:00:33] It should be noted that our students’ assistance throughout the process was commendable and staff attention to detail and safety procedures was impeccable.

[00:00:42] To be clear, everyone communicated updated information as soon as it became available and verified. Thanks to the swift response of our law enforcement partners, it became clear the investigation to confirm the building was safe would go far beyond the school day.

[00:00:56] And as a result, students were dismissed for the afternoon while the building was cleared.

[00:01:01] Partners from around our area jumped into action, including the Eugene Police Department, the University of Oregon’s Emergency Management Team, and our partners at Springfield Public Schools. I cannot overstate our appreciation for your assistance.

[00:01:14] Unfortunately, this incident falls in line with the incredibly disruptive and illegal swatting trend seen across our country. Ultimately, there was no physical threat to our building. However, the disruption to student learning and the unnecessary concern that results from unsettling incidents such as this is absolutely unacceptable.

[00:01:36] We take all perceived threats to students and staff safety very seriously and will never assume it to be a hoax. But literally thousands of lives were unnecessarily disrupted in the process today. We’re thankful for the commitment by our local law enforcement to partner with us to thoroughly investigate these illegal incidents.

[00:01:57] I also want to note that attempts to disrupt normal school operation were investigated last night and today. And while no credible threat existed, such efforts placed an enormous amount of stress on the system, and students ultimately pay the highest price.

[00:02:11] We appreciate every family who takes the time to discuss these issues with their students and partners with us in sending the message that these are not humorous pranks.

[00:02:21] We will be sharing information with the community about process improvement, after debriefing this incident internally.

[00:02:28] John Q: 4J Superintendent Andy Dey reports to the school board about the bomb threat at South Eugene High School.