Wellesley Police have charged an 8th grader at Wellesley Middle School with making false reports of an explosive device and causing disruption at a school in connection with the two e-mailed bomb threats made in May. Such a crime is considered a felony punishable by 20 years in prison, according to WPD. The police have highlighted the efforts of Det. Peter McLaughlin, a computer forensics expert, in tracking down the e-mails to a computer used in the school. The student will be summonsed to Dedham District Juvenile Court.
Wellesley Middle School Principal Joshua Frank broke the news to the Middle School community:
I am writing to let you know that a middle school student has acknowledged responsibility for the bomb hoaxes here on May 22 and May 26. The student will be charged In Juvenile Court. The student will be suspended from school for the rest of this school year. Given that there are only three days left in the school year, there will be additional consequences for the student.
This situation raises serious issues for the student and family involved, and for the Wellesley Middle School community. Because the student is a minor, and because the student is enrolled in the Wellesley Public Schools, the student’s identity must be kept confidential. Moving forward, the student and the family have much to confront. For the sake of the child involved, they must be allowed to do so in privacy. If students talk about what they have heard or been told, please tell them not to do so here at school. We have learned during this time that the information circulating through our community is often inaccurate. It is also important to remember that we are dealing with a child, a child who may return to school next year. We want the student to return to an environment where there is an opportunity to learn and grow.
The bomb hoaxes also created a trauma for our school community, bringing fear and suspicion to an environment dedicated to safety and trust. Knowing that the person responsible has been identified and held accountable allows us to put some closure on this difficult episode, and to feel safe here again. I want to thank the Wellesley Police for their work in finding the student responsible.
Thank you
Joshua Frank, Principal, Wellesley Middle School
[…] Thieves went where the money is and robbed a handful of local banks, including the Bank of America at 342 Washington St. in Wellesley in March and April. But the police nabbed the so-called U30 bandits — who were able to get in and out of banks in under 30 seconds – in July after a robbery of a Needham bank. But not before they created quite a scare in town with bomb threats and armed robberies. It turned out to be a rather busy year for crime in town, with a series of car break-ins and even bomb scares at the middle school. […]