By Krystal J. Carman
April 30, 2009 — For the fourth time since the second semester has began, the Foyil Schools campus was evacuated on Monday due to a bomb threat.
According to Rogers County Emergency Management Director Bob Anderson, the word “bomb” was found in a boys bathroom in the elementary building around 9:30 a.m. Monday.
This is the same bathroom where the word “bomb” was found on two other occasions, prompting campus evacuations.
The campus was searched by the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Emergency Management and Foyil Fire Department. An all clear signal was given around 10:02 a.m. and the children were bussed back to the campus to return to class.
On Feb. 12 at 11:05 a.m., a teacher reported seeing a bomb message written in ink on the boys bathroom wall in the south elementary building. A message reading “Bomb ... in tech room ... and cafe” was found around 10:28 a.m. Feb. 24 on a boys bathroom stall wall in the administration building.
The very next day, around 1:30 p.m., the word “bom” and a time of 1:40 p.m. was written again in the elementary bathroom. From that incident, an 11-year-old boy admitted writing the message on the bathroom wall. That child was taken to juvenile services where Rogers County Investigator Shane Reynolds said at the time the child may be required to perform community service.
Superintendent Pat Gougler said she and the school take all bomb threats or messages seriously hence the entire campus evacuation now four times this year.
After Monday’s evacuation, a campus-wide assembly was held where Gougler and law enforcement officers spoke with students concerning the serious nature of the messages or threats left in the bathrooms.
“She wanted the kids to know that this is no longer a joke,” Anderson, who attended the assembly, said. “She told them whoever did this will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We also wanted them to know what it costs to get emergency personnel to respond to the school each time this happens.”
As of Monday afternoon, investigators were still speaking with faculty members.
