A bomb threat made to an Orillia high school was delivered, but not picked up, prior to hundreds of students gathering for a dance.
Police are still investigating the “unsubstantiated” threat made against Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. The threat was left via voicemail after school hours on Friday. It was not discovered until Monday morning. Patrick Fogarty’s semi-formal dance took place Friday night.
Pauline Stevenson, communications manager with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, noted the threat was left on a “secondary” line — not the main line and not one belonging to anyone in particular — making it highly unlikely it would have been picked up outside of school hours.
Some, but not all, staff members and administrators check the school’s voicemail and email after hours, but they are not expected to.
“We don’t have any specific protocols or practices in place that would require staff to be checking voicemail or email on weekends,” she said, adding she doesn’t foresee the board forcing staff to do so in the future.
The phone systems at the board’s schools are getting an upgrade, Stevenson noted, and that will happen soon at Patrick Fogarty. When voicemail is left, the person responsible for that line will receive an email, possibly increasing the likelihood of it being noticed outside of school hours.
