Staff Reporter

RESERVE- Students at East St. John High School returned to class Monday after school was cancelled Friday of last week in the wake of two bomb threats and an arson threat that resulted in the arrest of one student for terrorism.

The school cancellation is the third instance this year the school administration and Sheriff's department have reacted to threats of violence. In the two prior scares no arrests were made and school was kept open. During the cancelled school day at least one jaded student joked about the false threats on “MySpace.com,” the same website where the arson threat was posted.

“We had bomb threats when I was there in '86 and we didn't close down over them then,” said Superintendent of St. John School system Michael Coburn. “But these days we react differently.”

One can assume “these days” refers to the post-Columbine age of highly publicized school related violence.

“Basically, closing the school was for the safety of everybody,” said Coburn. “It came on the advice of the local Sheriff's office and I think we won't have to look at this again.”

Coburn said the school system will make an example of the offending students by seeking expulsion.

In addition, Coburn said the school system is revisiting its policy that allows students to keep cell phones on campus for use after school.

It is possible the threats came from a student carrying a cell phone within the campus.

The St. John Parish school system website states, “Events from this week seem to indicate that rumors and misinformation dispersed by on-campus cell phones may have hampered investigations and caused further disruptions.”

Coburn said he is also looking at the argument for the usefulness of cell phones in the event of a real attack.

When asked what steps the school system will take to prevent another shutdown, Coburn said each situation is individualized and will have to be looked at once information about the threat is received.