Bomb threat empties Doughty school; classes delayed today

BANGOR – The James Doughty School on Fifth Street was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after school officials discovered a threat on a wall, according to Bangor police.

The threat, etched into the paint on the wall of an undisclosed room, referred to an explosive device, said Sgt. Bob Bishop. The call came in to police around 1:15 p.m. and the students and teachers were evacuated in an orderly fashion to the nearby Vine Street School.

School was closed for the remainder of the day, with parents picking up their children from Vine Street School or children riding the bus home from school at the regularly scheduled times, Bangor School Department Superintendent Robert Ervin said. The threat specified that a bomb would be at the school this morning; the school was immediately locked down to be searched by police officials.

Officials with the school department have delayed the start of school at the James Doughty School until noon today with buses beginning to pick up students at 11:15 a.m. at the regular bus stops, Ervin said. Lunch will not be served, as food cannot be prepared with the school closed. School will end at its usual time. It has been undecided if the time lost to the threat will be made up at a later date.

Historically, those who have made similar threats in the school district have been expelled, Ervin said.

“Bomb threats are not a frivolous matter and not treated as a frivolous matter,” he said. “We treat any disruption to the instructional day as a highly serious matter.”

The incident remained under investigation by police late Tuesday.