Police investigate 4th bomb threat at Kiel School District, middle school; students to go virtual rest of year, according to reports
KIEL - Authorities on Friday investigated a fourth bomb threat against the Kiel School District office and Kiel Middle School, according to Kiel Police Chief Dave Funkhouser.
Meanwhile, media reports say that the district sent a letter to parents saying school buildings will remain closed for the rest of the year. According to these reports, all end-of-year concerts are canceled, and students will spend the rest of the school year — which ends on June 3 — in virtual learning.
Friday's search was in response to a emailed threat received by police at around 6:51 a.m. Friday. This email referred to an ongoing sexual harassment investigation in the district and was sent to "members of the media, a school staff member, and others not affiliated with our school district," Funkhouser said.
Both buildings were vacant and searched by members of the police and fire departments. No devices were located, and the building was cleared, Funkhouser said.
He also said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have been assisting local police since Monday in finding the source of the threats.
'There is no measure of darkness, only the absence of light'
Funkhouser also thanked the people of Kiel in a Wednesday Facebook post for assisting police with investigating the first bomb threat on Monday.
"The City staff ... the Kiel Fire Department, Kiel EMS, the staff at the Kiel Schools, local citizens, business owners (HUI especially), church groups, and so many more people stepped up to help each other and protect our kids," he said. "Overall, I am thankful to everyone who stepped up and helped out. I am truly grateful."
He ended his post by encouraging Kiel residents to think before they speak, saying, "There is no measure of darkness, only the absence of light ... It’s dark in our city right now, but each of us can be the light in our own way."
Many comments on the post expressed gratitude to Funkhouser, the police department, and the organizations that Funkhouser named, as well as to the community in general.
Threats affect wider Kiel community; school board to enter special sessions
Other organizations in Kiel, a city of around 4,000 people, have responded to the bomb threats. On police recommendation, the Kiel School Board moved its meeting to an online session on Wednesday. The city of Kiel has also canceled its Memorial Day parade.
On Funkhouser's recommendation, Trinity Lutheran School in Kiel has canceled its last day of school and postponed its graduation service and end-of-year school picnic, according to a Facebook post from the church Thursday.
The Kiel School Board was scheduled to convene two special sessions at 11:45 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. Friday's agenda states that the board will go into a closed session.
The sexual harassment case stems from a complaint against three eighth-graders using another student's incorrect pronouns. The three students' parents, who are represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, have asked the school to drop the complaint. WILL condemned the bomb threats via Twitter on Monday.
More: How does Title IX apply to gender identity? Kiel school case raises the question
Contact Rebecca Loroff at rloroff@gannett.com or 920-907-7801.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Kiel police investigate 4th bomb threat at Kiel Middle School
