Parents of students at Hinsdale Middle School received two emails Wednesday, Sept. 11, from Principal Cory Burke after officials said a student alluded to a weapon while making a threatening comment.
Burke stated the student’s belongings and locker were searched with the assistance of the school’s safety team and no weapon was found. Burke also stated the student will not be allowed to return to school until a thorough safety review has been completed.
“I take this and any incident involving student safety at our school very seriously,” Burke wrote in an email.
She informed parents in a follow-up email the school, as part of its safety efforts, has a comprehensive safety plan that includes procedures for responding to threats and emergencies.
“We have a threat assessment team at the school that works with students in this sort of situation,” Burke wrote. “District and building administration collaborate and work through the comprehensive safety process and protocols whenever a threat is reported.”
Burke said off-duty police officers were deployed that day to the middle school and would remain there for the remainder of the week to provide students a sense of safety.
“The Hinsdale police assured us there is no immediate or ongoing threat,” she said.
Burke stated appropriate disciplinary measures for the student who reportedly made the threat about a possible weapon will be taken once all information is reviewed.
“We appreciate the students who reported the concerning comment,” she said. “Their quick actions helped us to address the concern promptly.”
In the wake of the incident, Jeffrey Alstadt, Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181’s director of communications, said ensuring safety in all of the district’s nine schools remains a top priority.
“It was important to let the parents know what had happened, so they wouldn’t be surprised if their child came home and said something about this,” he said. “We always want to communicate what’s going on in our schools.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.