LT. ROY BUTLER of the Battle Ground Police Department held a news conference the afternoon of Sept. 11 after five schools in the Battle Ground School District were closed due to threats made by a 13-year-old Chief Umtuch Middle School student. An arrest has been made and schools are getting back to normal this week.
A 13-year-old Chief Umtuch Middle School student was arrested the afternoon of Sept. 11 after making threats one day earlier that closed five Battle Ground School District schools and one private school in the Battle Ground area.
The schools re-opened Thurs., Sept. 12.
The male student, who’s name has not been released, also received an emergency expulsion from Chief Umtuch Middle School. Lynn Hicks, interim deputy superintendent, said administrators have 10 days from the date of expulsion to look at all the issues and determine what is the best option for the student and the school district.
Chief Umtuch, Captain Strong Primary, Battle Ground High School, CAM Academy and Summit View Middle School were all closed Sept. 11 due to threats made by the student against a specific teacher at Chief Umtuch. Firm Foundation Christian School also closed for the day.
Hicks confirmed that the student posted two threats on the school’s Dear Amicus website, which was put in place to help students who might be having problems with peers, with homework or with other issues. Students could get on the computer and post a message to Dear Amicus, and Hicks said a staff member or counselor would get back to them with advice. The site, which has been deactivated for the time being, was checked on a daily basis. A teacher screening messages on the site found the two threats, the first one in which the student threatened suicide and the second one in which he threated a teacher and the school.
District officials will re-evaluate the website and determine whether it will be made live again.
“I think parents should know that the police consider the incident closed,” Hicks said. “The police determined that the student did not have the means to carry out the threats to Chief Umtuch school and staff. They also determined that he was working alone.”
District officials took several steps in order to ensure students and parents felt as safe as they could when schools re-opened Sept. 12. Administrators sent home a letter to parents on Sept. 11 (if they had their email addresses) and letters also went home with students on Sept. 12, explaining the details of the threat and thanking them for their patience and help. Also on Sept. 12, Jason Arrowsmith, a school resource officer, was at Chief Umtuch as the students and parents arrived and was also at the school on Fri., Sept. 13.
Hicks said there was also an extra counselor at the middle school on Sept. 12. Chief Umtuch does have a full-time counselor this year, which is something relatively new for the school.
“We checked the attendance at Chief on Thursday and only 28 out of 607 students were absent,” Hicks said. “Dave Cresap, the principal, reported he had no calls of concern from parents. We will continue to monitor the need for counselors and security this next week and take whatever measures are needed to put kids and parents at ease.”
Dave Cresap, principal at Chief Umtuch, said the morning of Mon., Sept. 16, that students and staff at the school are moving forward and things are “getting back to normal.”
“The community and the parents have been very good,” Cresap said. “Students are attending classes, nobody is holding their kids back or anything, I haven’t gotten any negative comments or anything from parents. It was definitely a major disruption to our week, there’s really no getting around that, but things are getting back to normal.”
When students arrived back at school on Sept. 12, Cresap said he made an announcement welcoming everyone back to school and also letting everyone know that it was safe. He also explained a little bit to the students about the confidential nature of some of the details of the incident and how there are some things that the teachers and staff need to keep confidential.
Cresap said he did talk with the mother of the student who made the threats, just to let her know they were concerned. Without divulging much detail, Cresap said everything with the student is moving along in the process right now, as far as the next steps go.
The five schools that were closed Sept. 11 will have to make up a day of school before the end of the school year and Hicks said administrators have not yet determined when that make-up day will be. She said any additional cost to the district will come from the buses that will have to run on the make-up day. Teachers who were not at school will also have to make up the day so they work their 180-day contract.
The case file for the student was forwarded to the Clark County Juvenile Prosecutor for charges of Felony Harassment.
“This was really a team effort and everyone pitched in to make sure kids were safe,” Hicks said. “We cannot thank the Battle Ground Police, City of Vancouver Police and the FBI enough for their work in bringing this incident to close.”
