The Umatilla Police Department is continuing the investigation into the threat of violence at Clara Brownell Middle School on Friday, Sept. 6.
The Umatilla School District released the following facts on Sept. 9:
- Friday afternoon, an individual Clara Brownell Middle School student was sent a message indicating a threat of violence specifically for Clara Brownell Middle School for Monday, Sept. 9 or Tuesday, Sept. 10.
- The threat was received from a TikTok message from a newly created account with one follower, following two people.
- The student shared the information with other students before alerting adults to the situation.
- Principal Rick Cotterell was made aware of the situation at 6:44 p.m. and advised phoning the police and he went to the school Friday evening to begin working on the concern.
- Within 15 minutes of the original correspondence to Principal Cotterell, both Umatilla and Hemriston police departments were involved and he began working with Umatilla Police Department through the school’s School Resource Officer and alerted Superintendent Heidi Sipe.
- Umatilla police also provided staff to the Football game Friday night and key school staff on-site were informed and added patrols and patrol areas as well as a precaution.
- Sipe monitored the situation with representatives from Hermiston Police Department and Umatilla Police Department on Saturday and Sunday.
- The threat is unsubstantiated and believed to be a hoax, however, both the police and school wanted an increased police presence because the information had been shared with some students Friday and the district wanted to be sure it was prepared, and that students saw a response for their safety.
- The threat was limited to CBMS and thus, CBMS parents were informed Sunday evening.
- All staff in the district were informed Sunday evening and received reminders of protocols and safety procedures in place.
- Umatilla Police Department and Umatilla School District administration have been in contact throughout the day on Monday, Sept. 9; and continue to collaborate for the investigation period and the safety response.
- For questions, please contact Superintendent Sipe at sipeh@umatillasd.org.
As a reminder, the remodeling bond and the district’s Student Investment Account investments have funded a number of safety improvements in the district. In addition to standard response protocols and drills in place in all Oregon schools, Umatilla schools also have:
- Secured entry vestibules in each school,
- door locks that allow quick lock-down,
- school resource officer presence,
- panic buttons throughout the building and on many staff which provide location information to the offices and police as well as camera views for law enforcement action,
- phone systems that allow 911 calls from school phones to also alert the district office so lock-downs in all buildings can occur, and
- paging systems in each building that allow for emergency alerts to go out to other buildings as well through the central system at the District Office.
The district said parents can best support student safety by closely monitoring their student’s devices and social media activity and being mindful of their own social media statements. Further information for parents in supporting students is available here. The district’s Standard Response Protocol and relevant information is available here.
