Probation and $7K fine for bomb-threat caller
Student has already spent two months in youth detention center
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The 15-year-old township resident responsible for causing a lockdown at the North Brunswick Township High School in April has pleaded guilty to the incident.

The juvenile served 60 days at the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center, was put on probation for 18 months and was ordered to reimburse the township $7,000, the approximate cost of the emergency response, according to Ralph Cretella, an assistant Middlesex County prosecutor.

On April 18, just days after the mass shooting at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., a threatening phone message was left at the principal's office of the high school overnight. A voice, which sounded like a male, called saying he was upset and intended to "shoot up the school." As a precautionary measure, the school went into lockdown for about four hours that morning per police protocol for a potential active shooter situation.

Investigators were able to identify the particular phone that was the source of the threat, which was on the suspect as she was arrested at her home, according to Police Director Kenneth McCormick. The female was taken into custody at 1 a.m. April 19 for creating a false public alarm, making terroristic threats and creating a widespread risk of injury.

"I think the general feeling is if this young person made a mistake and needs help, there should be consequences. It is a learning experience … because [the students may not] know the dire consequences to this kind of action. … I think everyone got a firsthand view - the students, the staff and the parents - of how upsetting this could be," Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski said.

Zychowski said that the adjudication of the young girl "gives some closure," and he hopes that it "serves some purpose" in having the community realize how serious the situation was.

"The unknown was the scariest part of the whole equation so the great work of the police department and the investigators finding her was kind of a relief … because with a prank you can never be totally sure," he said.

However, before the panic settled in the spring, hundreds of residents in town, most of whom were parents, were upset by the delay of information, the spread of incorrect information and the handling of the situation, specifically rumors that certain students had the ability to stay home because they knew of the impending situation beforehand while others were locked inside the building.

To ensure that, in the event of a real emergency, procedures run more smoothly, the district is reviewing its safety plan districtwide and at the individual school level, via a committee of community members, police department personnel and township administrators. Zychowski said the committee has already met twice this summer.

In addition, the school board is expected to receive its third federal Secure Our Schools grant. The additional $170,000 will be used to increase the number of security cameras at the high school and possibly be put toward metal detectors. Also, an emergency notification system could be available to alert parents of an impending situation.

"We take this very seriously because we know we have to practice and how hard it is to plan," Zychowski said.