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Rye District Explains Delay In Evacuating Students After Bomb Threat

This story has been updated.

Westchester County police assisted Rye police during the first of three bomb threats at Rye High School on Oct. 21.

Westchester County police assisted Rye police during the first of three bomb threats at Rye High School on Oct. 21.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig

RYE, N.Y. -- There was a 90-minute delay in evacuating Rye students after a bomb threat Friday morning because an administrator had not checked his/her email, a Rye City School District spokeswoman said.

Rye police said a bomb threat was made by email at 7:33 a.m. 

The email was sent to three administrators, according to Rye City School District spokeswoman Sarah Derman.

"Two of the email addresses were incorrect and therefore were never received. The one administrator to receive the email did not see it until approximately 9:00 a.m.  The administrator was in the building at the time, but was not at his or her desk. The evacuation order went out at 9:05, immediately after the administrator read the email,'' Derman said.

Derman declined to name the administrators involved.

School officials stressed that students were safely evacuated within five minutes of reading the email threat.

It was the third bomb threat at Rye High School and Middle School since Oct. 26.

The first, on a Tuesday morning, involved a note scribbled on a bathroom wall.

The second came at 6:45 p.m. Friday Dec. 19 and caused the cancellation of a Rye High basketball game.

Police have declined to say whether any of the bomb threats are related or if they have made any progress in tracking down suspects.

During today's evacuation, Rye students were outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures and light snowfall for about 30 minutes.

Rye Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez sent his first email blast to parents at 9:12 a.m., notifying them that students were being safely relocated to other school buildings. Alvarez sent an "all-clear" email at 10:37 a.m.

In a letter to parents Friday afternoon, Alvarez wrote: "Unfortunately, given the need to evacuate the students as quickly as possible, the students had to walk to their assigned indoor evacuation locations. We apologize for any discomfort they may have experienced. Upon the issuance of the 'all-clear,' the students were bused back to campus."

The Rye Police Department is actively investigating the threats. Anyone with information about the source of these threats are asked to call Rye Police at 914-967-1234. Alternatively, anonymous tips can be sent to the Police by the following methods:

By Text: tip411(847411) plus the keyword that can be found on the Westchester County 

Crime Tips Facebook page.

By App: iTunes at WC Crimetips

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wc-crimetips/id912443578

By App: Android at WC Crimetips

https://play.google.come/store/apps/details?id=com.citizenobserver.wccrimetips

Facebook page: Westchester County Crime Tips at: https://www.facebook.com/WestchesterCrimeTips to submit a tip to download the app.

 

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