All schools in the Milton-Freewater Unified School District were closed today due to a threat by a student.
Law enforcement notified High School Principal Mindi Vaughan via email at 11 p.m. on Thursday evening, Sept. 13. The email said there was a student at McLoughlin High School who stated he/she was going to shoot up the high school the next day, starting with the Science Wing.
When Vaughan received the email Friday morning at 5 a.m., she spoke with Dr. Rob Clark, superintendent of the Milton-Freewater Unified School District. After phone calls to the Milton-Freewater City Police Department and the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, district administrators determined there was enough credible information to be concerned about this situation. Because law enforcement had not finished their investigation, the decision was made to cancel school at all buildings.
At approximately 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, district administrators were informed by law enforcement that the individual involved is in custody and will remain there through the weekend. All activities scheduled for Mac-Hi over the weekend will go on as scheduled.
The school district released the following statement today:
“The district understands canceling school on short notice is difficult for students and families, but student safety is a number one priority. We thank everyone for their cooperation.”
The closure came a day after Boardman schools were temporarily closed due to a threat made on social media.
