Suspect identified in high school bomb hoax
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March 6, 2013 |
Boundary County school superintendent Dick
Conley has confirmed that a suspect in the
latest bombing hoax at Bonners Ferry High School
has been identified and suspended with a
recommendation for expulsion.
Neither the name nor the gender of the student
is being released, as a criminal investigation
by the Bonners Ferry Police Department is
underway. A special school board meeting will be
set between now and next Wednesday, when the
suspension expires, to hold an expulsion
hearing; under Idaho Code, only the school board
has the authority to approve or deny an
expulsion recommedation.
"I can confirm it is a high school student,"
Conley said, "and I can confirm that security
procedures put in place by the district
contributed to the identification."
In the wake of Monday's bomb hoax, he said, the
BFHS student council has met in special session
with administrators and the school board, and
have been making plans for a special assembly,
addressed at fellow students, to address the
issue, and to attempt to convey how serious the
action and the cost, not only to students, but
to the entire community.
"These students are wonderful, and they're as
frustrated as we are about this," said school
board chair Melanie Staples. "They approached us
to ask what more students could do to put an end
to this nightmare, and as a board, we are
grateful for their efforts."
The date for that assembly has yet to be
finalized, and according to Conley, having a
suspect is not going to curtail their plans.
"Our students are the ones most affected by
these acts, and I think the actions of the
student council are commendable," he said. He
promised to inform newsbf as soon as their plans
are finalized.
Conley and other school officials now have to
present the evidence gathered so far, which
resulted to the suspension, to the board, and
the board, in closed session, has to hear that
evidence and provide an opportunity for the
suspect and representatives to refute that
allegations before they can weigh the
information and render a decision on expulsion.
Separate and apart, the Bonners Ferry Police
Department, led by School Resource Officer
Tiffany Murray, has to conduct its own
investigation, and present the facts gathered to
the city prosecutor, who has the responsibility
to determine what, if any, criminal charges to
file.
If charges are filed, the matter goes to courts
of law, where the State of Idaho will present
its case and the defendant will do the same.
Until a plea is rendered or a jury finds for the
state, the as-yet unnamed suspect must be
presumed innocent.
Regardless of the outcome, Staples said, her
greatest hope is that these disruptive and
costly incidents will end. |
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I'll bet 90% of our community would implore you
to expel him or her period. This has caused the
high school students unnecessary grief and loss
of valuable school time that they will probably
now have to make up to graduate because of one
selfish immature person. Not only that, but this
has caused our community to spend thousands of
dollars to pay for fire, police and ambulance
services that stood by countless times now.
Expel them! |
Jim Paulus
Naples |
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