LIBBY – Some parents in Libby pulled their kids from school today after the Libby School District did not let them know about a threat of violence that was written in a boy’s bathroom stall last week, according to Evan O’Brien, parent of a Libby schools student.
In a statement, the Libby Police Department said the threat was reported to them last Thursday. Police implemented extra security for homecoming activities over the weekend, and say they will have a presence at the school for the rest of the week.
O’Brien says parents were alerted to the threat in a Facebook post to an online yard sale page over the weekend and some pulled their kids from school.
He says he’s concerned because they didn’t get any official notification from the school until today. He received several prerecorded voice messages from the school acknowledging the threat and announcing a meeting Tuesday for parents at Libby High School about the threat.
O’Brien says he is frustrated by the lack of communication from the school district.
“If this is what’s going on, why weren’t us parents informed on what was going on? If that’s something you’re willing to keep in the dark, what if the worst happened? You didn’t say anything to parents, we sent our kids to school, and then ya know it goes from nothing happening to something happening,” he said.
Libby police said they are conducting the investigation in conjunction with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office with additional resources provided by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
The statement says a small group of students who wanted to disrupt the school are behind the threat, and there is no danger to the community. They will continue the investigation until all the students involved are prosecuted.
There will be a meeting for parents Tuesday evening at Libby High School at 6:30 p.m. with the district about this threat.
Story by August McDonnell, MTN News
