Wake County school leaders are being tight-lipped about their response to a bomb threat that resulted in more than two dozen students being treated for heat-related issues.
On Aug. 29, students at Heritage High School in Wake Forest were evacuated to the football field after the school received what turned out to be a false bomb threat . School was dismissed early after as many as 30 students were treated for heat-related issues and two students were taken to the hospital for further treatment.
The high that day was around 100 degrees.
District leaders cited a school safety exemption in the state’s Open Meetings Law for moving the detailed discussion behind closed doors on Tuesday.
“Anything that’s specifically related to the incident in terms of something that could be a risk to students we’ll address in closed session,” said school board chair Chris Heagarty.
Timeline of events during Heritage High bomb threat
School security staff gave a brief high-level public overview of the incident Tuesday .
▪ 10:17 a.m. Bomb threat called into the school
▪ 10:26 a.m. Communication sent to parents
▪ 10:31 a.m. Evacuation started and completed
▪ 10:41 a.m. Police officers arrived after an additional threat was received. Kendrick Scott, senior director of security, said the second threat changed the dynamics of the incident but he’d only discuss it in closed session.
▪ 11:11 a.m. Additional law enforcement resources requested
▪ 12:31 p.m. Bus transportation arrived and dismissal starts
▪ 12:47 a.m. Response efforts concludes
‘Felt like 100 degrees outside’
Students and parents at the scene described a chaotic scene.
“There was this girl who I felt so bad for,” Alexia Young, a sophomore, told ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner . “She looked pale. She got pulled away on a stretcher.”
Young said It “felt like 100 degrees outside” as they waited at the football stadium.
“They held the kids outside the football stadium, which is too hot,” parent Christy Lee told ABC11. “They’ve been out there for two hours.”
Amid the heat, air-conditioned GoRaleigh buses were brought to the scene to triage patients.
It was sunny and about 95 degrees outside around 11 a.m. that morning.
‘That’s ... a closed session question’
School board members had requested a board-level review of how the incident was handled after getting many complaints from parents.
Staff told board members multiple times that they could get answers to their questions in closed session. For instance, board member Cheryl Caulfield asked when people look at the needs of the students in an emergency.
“First and foremost is the security and getting the children away from the building,” said Caulfield, who is a parent at Heritage High. “But how are we going to move going forward?”
“I think that’s more of a closed session question,” answered board attorney Rod Malone.
Other questions such as when EMS would be called and the district’s weather protocol were also referred to closed session.
Don’t spread rumors
Wake is looking into why some families didn’t initially get notified about the evacuation. The best place to check on updates in emergencies is the school website, according to Lisa Luten, chief of communications.
The bomb threat at Heritage High has been one of many received in schools in Wake County this school year. There’s been a 66% increase in crises they have responded to in the past two years compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Luten.
Many of the threats are being spread on social media by students.
“If you’re a student and you get one of these threats, inform an adult,” Scott said. “Spreading it and moving it through your own social media platform oftentimes makes that problem worse.”
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