NEWS RELEASE
As authorities investigated a bomb threat last week at the Galion Middle School, another threat of violence at the Galion Intermediate School was determined to be nothing more than vandalism by a student.
On Feb. 15, the Galion Police and Galion Fire Departments determined that an intermediate school student attempted to carve a threat in the stall wall in the boys’ bathroom of the third-grade hallway. District administrators quickly identified the third-grade male student, and the student subsequently admitted to the act of vandalism.
“District administrators, along with safety personnel from the Galion Police and Galion Fire Departments, quickly arrived on scene and assessed the situation to determine that there was no threat to the safety of the students and staff of the Galion Intermediate School,” said Jim Grubbs, Galion Superintendent. “Thanks to the quick work of the Intermediate School’s administrators and the district’s Technology Department, we were able to identify the student in mere minutes and obtain the student’s confession.”
Staff members check the restroom walls frequently throughout the day, which made it easier to determine who had been in and out of the restroom during the specific timeframe the vandalism took place.
“We did not immediately report this incident to parents or the community because we were able to quickly assess the situation, identify the student, and obtain a confession,” said Grubbs. “We didn’t want to induce any more panic than was already present from the incident that took place earlier at the Middle School.”
Grubbs said he takes the safety of EVERY single Galion student seriously.
“I would never do anything to compromise the trust that our families place in me and the entire Galion City School District staff to provide their children with the best education in the safest and most secure environment possible,” said Grubbs.