BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont middle school was evacuated and a nearby elementary school was placed on lockout for the second time in less than two weeks.
Vincent Middle School students were evacuated for just over an hour as the school was searched after a bomb threat was discovered in a bathroom at the middle school according to a Beaumont Independent School District spokesperson.
Nearby Amelia Elementary School was placed on lockout during the incident according to the district.
A BISD Police bomb-sniffing K9 was used to search the campus according to the spokesperson.
The district announced at 11 a.m. that nothing had been found that the all-clear had been given.
Vincent Middle is just off of Major Drive north of College Street and Amelia Elementary is next to the middle school.
Both schools were also locked out on Monday, March 2, 2020, when a similar threat was written on a bathroom stall at the middle school according to previous reports.
The district noted in its statement that students should know that they take all threats seriously and will not tolerate them.
The district also urged parents to talk to their children about "the seriousness of making false statements of a threatening nature."
The district's safety protocol is to put the school on lockout when this type of event happens and all students are safe and accounted for according to the district.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
From a BISD news release...
Earlier today administrators at Vincent Middle School were made aware of a threat written in a restroom regarding a possible explosive device.
Safety protocols were initiated and the campus was thoroughly searched by Beaumont ISD Police Department and the district’s explosive detection K9.
During the search of the schools exterior and interior area, there were no threats found and the campus received an all-clear.
Students should be aware that all threats are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated.
We would like to take this opportunity to urge our parents and guardians to have a conversation with their students on the seriousness of making false statements of a threatening nature.
Neighboring Amelia Elementary has also lifted their lockout.