Halton District School Board (HDSB) received a hate-filled anonymous message that threatened to extend safety threats tomorrow to our Oakville school community and beyond.
It sent the email to families and staff of Oakville schools this evening. HDSB’s Director of Education, Curtis Ennis, confirmed that Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) was informed of the threat immediately.
Parents in the town have been panicking for weeks now as some Oakville schools have received bomb threats over the last few weeks. For starters, the bomb threats started with Oakville Trafalgar High School, which has drawn international attention over a teacher wearing giant prosthetic breasts to school.
HDSB condemns “any messages of hate and violence toward students and staff” and is working with the Halton Police to investigate these threats.
HDSB’s Director confirmed that classes would continue tomorrow as scheduled. He also clarified, “While all threats are treated seriously, we believe these threats lack credibility and are more rooted in hateful mischief than high-level risk.”
The school board will follow emergency protocols in the future. For more information on these procedures, which were developed in partnership with HRPS, families can visit School Safety FAQs on the HDSB website.
While a few families chose not to send their children to the targeted schools in the past, HDSB's email confirmed, “Despite the reports in the media, they (our students ) have continued to attend class, learn and work towards their goals for the semester.”
The email also encourages students with concerns to speak with “a trusted adult including a teacher, Educational Assistant, Social Worker, Child and Youth Worker, school administration or school Guidance Counsellor.”
HDSB’s Director of Education also appealed to the families to contact Halton Crime Stoppers by dialling toll-free 1-800-222-8477 if they have any information about these threats.