Bomb threat forces evacuation of all schools in Hilton school district. What we know now
Hilton Central School District Wednesday morning evacuated all five of its schools after receiving a bomb threat.
Capt. Pat Rojas of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said a "disturbing" email that threatened explosives had been placed in all of Hilton's school buildings, district office and Superintendent Casey Kosiorek's home was sent around 8:30 a.m.
At a mid-afternoon briefing, Rojas said that deputies and K-9 dogs completed their sweep of the buildings and that no explosive devices were found. The office's bomb squad was also on scene Wednesday in case any explosives were located in the schools.
District spokeswoman Grace Scism said within minutes of learning of the anonymous threat, district officials alerted parents and guardians. In the note to parents sent around 9:30 a.m., district officials said that the schools were being evacuated and children would board buses away from the schools, which closed to students and staff for the rest of the day.
Parents came to collect their children at each school at the request of the district.
"Our main concern was the safety of the students and the staff here," Rojas said. "These situations are horrible. I did understand how these parents felt...they were rushing to the school. They wanted to see their children safe."
Kosiorek described the day's events as "very difficult" and "stress-inducing" and said that such threats were "irresponsible" and will not be tolerated. "I hope that law enforcement is able to catch the individuals who made this threat and that they're held accountable. This is something that cannot happen and someone could have gotten hurt."
Classes are expected to resume Thursday and deputies will be hand at all of Hilton's school campuses on Thursday. Grief counselors will also be on hand for students and staff struggling with the day's events
Approximately 4,100 students attend the district, which includes three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. More than 5,000 people were evacuated, when accounting for district staff, Kosiorek said.
We are currently investigating an anonymous threat to the Hilton Central School District. There are no injuries and no devices have been found. We are working closely with the Hilton CSD to ensure the safety of all students and staff. The media staging area is the Hilton Fire…
— Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (@monroesheriffny) March 22, 2023
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Hilton school district closes all schools following bomb threat
