KHS student suspended for bomb threat

KELLOGG — A Kellogg High School student was suspended last Friday for allegedly making a bomb threat at the school.

The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office reports that on May 31, KHS officials and School Resource Officer Deputy Adam Durflinger were notified of a possible bomb threat written on a bathroom stall in the building.

School officials and local law enforcement worked together to find the source of the writing. A student was later identified and following the completion of a threat assessment, it was determined the threat was non-credible.

This assessment is made up from school safety concerns that are compiled by agencies such as the Secret Service and FBI, then were made into a checklist style assessment that schools can use to determine the level of a threat.

This specific incident was given a low threat level, which could be as menial as a student saying they hated school and wanted to blow it up. Even said in jest, if reported, a statement such as this is treated as a threat that will be investigated and carries an automatic suspension as a punishment.

This threat at KHS was the second since April when a student found a threatening note in one of the restrooms.

Despite being found near graduation, the most recent threat also had nothing to do with Kellogg’s graduation ceremony, which was held on June 1.

Unlike the first threat, which involved a handwritten note with actual dates, this most recent threat came from a student.

According to Kellogg School District superintendent Dr. Nancy Larsen though, the two threats are not related and this one in particular was not serious.

“What we have in place is a threat assessment,” she said. “After we did that assessment, it came in at a different level than the one that occurred in April.”

As for the specifics of the threat, Larsen could not share the details or the school’s potential lock-down procedures for situations such as this.

The procedures, in compliance with the KSD’s policies concerning threats and lockdown protocol, are not made public so possible perpetrators remain ignorant of the school’s plans.

The student involved with the May 31 threat has since been suspended from school and a report has been forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office for the purpose of filing criminal charges.

As of June 3, Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney Keisha Oxendine told the News-Press that her office is reviewing the report and will determine if there is sufficient evidence for charges.