Perceived Threats At 5 Elmhurst Schools: Records

ELMHURST, IL – Since August, Elmhurst schools have informed parents about perceived threats – from empty shell casings on a stage to a police suspect near an elementary.

Last week, Patch heard about a statement given to Churchville Middle School families about a perceived threat on campus.

Patch asked Elmhurst School District 205's spokeswoman, Tonya Daniels, for the document, but she did not respond. So Patch filed a public records request for messages to parents since the beginning of the school year.

The district responded late Tuesday night.

Here is a listing of incidents at five schools since August:

• Aug. 22: Bryan Middle School Principal Jacquelyn Discipio said her school received a report of possible suspicious activity outside the building. She said the police were investigating, adding she was proud of students for reporting what they saw. In a follow-up message the next day, Discipio said police found the situation was not a threat.
• Sept. 10: Emerson Elementary School was placed on a "soft lockdown," which limits movement in a school but largely allows classes to continue as normal. The lockdown was at the police department's request because of "activity outside of the school," Principal Sheleen DeLockery said. She attached information about an alert from the police department. At the time, Elmhurst police were pursuing a man suspected of theft. The chase was near the school. The principal said students were not in danger and learning was not interrupted.
• Sept. 10: A Sandburg Middle School student was reported to have possibly made a comment that required administrators to investigate, Principal Joshua Louis said in a message to parents. "Upon interviewing students and talking with parents, it was determined that all students are safe and there is no immediate danger to the Sandburg community," Louis said. In a follow-up message the next day, Louis said students had been sharing information about a threat of school violence. To ensure student privacy, he said no more information could be provided. At Tuesday's school board meeting, a Sandburg parent said the messages were "very vague" and that more details should have been provided.
• Sept. 11: Hawthorne Elementary School Principal Tim Riordan notified parents that two empty shell casings were found on the stage in the multipurpose room. As a precaution, he said, the police department's K-9 officer walked through the building as an "added level of safety assurance for our students and staff." Nothing else was discovered in the building, Riordan said. In a message the following day, Riordan said the police department found no evidence the casings were fired from within the school or that they were placed there with malicious intent. The police investigation was continuing, he said.
• Sept. 18: On the night of Sept. 17, police were told that a student made a "suspicious and concerning" statement while at Churchville Middle School, Principal Gina Reeder said in a statement to parents the next day. After going to the student's home and speaking with the student and family, Elmhurst police deemed the threat was not credible, Reeder said.

On Sept. 12, the school district issued a statement to the "District 205 Community" about the perceived threats. It noted a rash of similar incidents at schools around the country.

"We have also been aware that there are multiple inaccurate reports of possible school violence at some D205 schools," the district said.

In the statement, the district gave links to its messages to families at Sandburg and Hawthorne.

"We would also like to remind our community that information regarding school safety that is shared or posted on social media accounts other than official school or Elmhurst Police accounts should be taken with caution as they may not be accurate or current," the district said.

Editor's note: Elmhurst School District 205 is not sending communications about perceived threats to Patch without a formal Freedom of Information Act request. If you get such a message from the district, please send it to david.giuliani@patch.com. Do not assume that Patch already has it. We will not reveal your identity.