On Monday, June 4, MTHS students and families were made aware of anonymous threats discovered on the walls inside of two MTHS boys bathrooms. Both threats involved graffiti written on the walls, with one instance just reading “6/5/18” and the other instance including “6/5/18” alongside an image of a weapon scratched or etched into one of the stalls in a boy’s bathroom. MTHS administration has alerted Edmonds School District security and the Mountlake Terrace Police Department of the perceived threats.
Approximately ten days ago the first perceived graffiti threat was discovered, reading “6/5/18” and spray painted onto a wooden surface on the MTHS campus. The spray paint had dried by the time it was investigated by MTHS staff after a report by a student. According to Principal Greg Schellenberg, it cannot be determined if all of the threats were made by the same individual.
Although none of the incidents are considered by the police to be credible threats to school security, MTHS staff will be operating with increased levels of caution, according to Schellenberg. June 5 will be treated as a typical school day at MTHS with additional security precautions taken by the staff, as detailed in a staff meeting immediately after school on June 4 to discuss the threats and the response to those threats.
“On a daily basis, access to the building is restricted to very few entrances that are monitored by staff,” Schellenberg said in a letter sent to MTHS families. “We also have security cameras that are monitored. In addition to these measures, we have requested an officer from the Mountlake Terrace Police Department be on campus tomorrow.”
If MTHS families still do not feel comfortable with their students attending the school day due to the threats, they can excuse their child’s absence for the day with a call to 425-431-7781. Students who are absent will still be responsible for any missed coursework, however, in accordance with the policies of their teachers.
Schellenberg also wanted to stress the importance of students and community members speaking up whenever they become aware of a potential threat to the safety of the school.
“We want to stress the importance of members of our community stepping forward when they have information on possible safety concerns,” Schellenberg said.
Schellenberg promoted the Safe Schools Alert tip reporting service as a way for students and community members to report threats to school safety if they are not comfortable with speaking directly to MTHS staff. The service can be reached by phone and text with the number 425-551-7393 and through email at 14**@al****.us. Additionally, potential threats can be reported directly to the Safe School Alert website at 1480.alert1.us.
