A high school in Oakville, Ont., that has been at the centre of controversy surrounding a teacher’s attire was closed Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat.
Halton Regional Police said on Twitter just after 8 a.m. that Oakville Trafalgar High School was placed into lockdown due to the threat, but that has since been lifted and the school has been deemed safe. It’s expected to reopen on Thursday.
An investigation is ongoing.
Halton police provided Global News with the email containing the threat, which was also shared with some media outlets.
It is an expletive-laden, violent message appearing to reference the situation regarding the controversy. It also includes direct threats against two Halton District School Board staff members and Oakville as a whole.
A letter sent to the school community from Oakville Trafalgar’s principal and vice-principals said officials were notified of the threat Wednesday morning.
“All students and staff are being directed to not come to school today,” the letter said.
“Students and staff who are already on-site are being directed to a nearby evacuation site (Maple Grove Public School) with Oakville Trafalgar staff.”
The letter said staff from the high school would remain onsite at Maple Grove Public School until students could be safely dismissed.
“(The) Halton Regional Police Service responded immediately to the school to investigate. Police are conducting a thorough search of the school,” the message continued.
Police have since said the school was cleared by officers and is safe. Officers were expected to remain in the area.
No injuries have been reported.
Police said the email was sent at around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday and added that investigators are working to identify its origin.
No arrests have been made.
“Please be assured that we, in partnership with Halton police, take all threats of this nature very seriously and assist police in their investigations,” the letter from the high school said.
“We continue to work closely with Halton Regional Police Service to ensure the safety of students and staff.”
Last week, a school board review said the teacher who made headlines around the world for wearing large prosthetic breasts to class is not likely to be subject to a dress code when on the job.
Images of the staffer went viral on social media in September, prompting a dress code review from the Halton District School Board, which revealed results to board members at a meeting
The report recommends against adopting a system-wide dress code for staffers, suggesting it would potentially spark human rights violations.
“It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability,” the joint statement from superintendent Sari Taha and director of education Curtis Ennis said.
The HDSB had been considering a dress code when this first came to light at the start of the school year, but it’s decided against it, saying in the report it’s important to recognize the impact dress code policies have on members of the transgender community.
— With files from Don Mitchell