The Hilton Central School District evacuated all five of its schools the morning of Wednesday, March 22, after an anonymous bomb threat was sent via email to some local media outlets and then reported to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The threat claimed that pipe bombs had been placed in the District Office, all school buildings, and at the home of Superintendent Casey Kosiorek.
Deputies secured all of the schools and after consulting with the Sheriff’s Office, the district made the decision to cancel the school day and send approximately 5,000 students and staff members home. A robocall went out to parents around 9:40 a.m. advising them of the situation and asking them to pick up their children as soon as possible. Students waited in buses outside the schools until parents arrived.
K9 units and Hazardous Device Technicians from the Sheriff’s Office and its law enforcement partners searched all of the buildings and no explosive devices or hazardous materials were found. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Section is investigating the source of this threat and will continue to do so.
The person who sent the anonymous bomb threat accused the district of grooming children and encouraging students to read sexual content, specifically mentioning a book in the school’s library system titled This Book is Gay.
Someone raised concerns about the book at a recent school board meeting. Kosiorek said the title has been available in the school library since 2015 and has been checked out twice in that time. It is currently under review process.
A previously planned gathering of concerned parents was held the evening of March 22 to discuss the availability of LGBTQ books in school libraries.
Hilton schools reopened on Thursday with additional police presence during arrival and dismissal. The district also brought in extra counselors and their “trauma, illness, and grief” team to help students experiencing anxiety or social and emotional issues stemming from the incident.
Kosiorek called the threat disruptive and irresponsible and said it would not be tolerated. “As a father of three children who attend the Hilton Central School District, it is extremely concerning,” Kosiorek said. “I hope that law enforcement is able to catch the individuals who made this threat and they’re held accountable to the fullest letter of the law.”
Assemblymembers Harry Bronson, Sarah Clark, Demond Meeks, Jen Lunsford and Josh Jensen, along with state Senators Jeremy Cooney and Samra Brouk, responded to the incident with the following statement: “The bomb threats made against Hilton Schools, their students, faculty, staff and neighbors, are nothing short of an act of terrorism. The perpetrators of this cowardly act were motivated by hatred and fear of LGBTQ content offered to students who, throughout history, have been silenced and marginalized by exactly this kind of bullying. This vile and hateful act against our children will not go unanswered.”
They also said, “As representatives of Monroe County in the New York State Legislature, we stand strong with the Hilton community and the broader LGBTQ community. We see you, we love you, and we will not let anyone treat you with anything less than the dignity and respect you deserve.”
Anyone with information about the person or persons who made this threat are asked to reach out to law enforcement.
