A Southwest Portland school was plunged into a tense lockdown Thursday afternoon after a staff member received a threatening call, which prompted a rapid response by law enforcement and a brief suspension of campus activities. According to a report by KOIN, the incident took place at Oregon Episcopal School around 3 p.m. following a phone call that was made "from outside the community."
Although the threat targeted an individual and not the school, the establishment's security measures ensured a campus-wide lockdown commenced within 10 minutes. A letter sent out to families expressed that "All students and employees were immediately secured in the campus buildings," conveying the gravity and swiftness of the response. Meanwhile, jobsbots.com stated that the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrived to aid in securing the premises and reassess safety protocols, determining the school safe enough to end the lockdown by 3:51 p.m.
The school officials took steps to ensure a controlled release of the students, allowing them to return to their after-school activities while officers remained on-site. "Students were then allowed to return to scheduled after-school activities under a controlled release (officers remained on campus to support the dismissal of students)," the school informed parents via a letter, as reported by ghsfuneralservices.com.
In the aftermath of the distressing incident, the administration announced that counselors would be available the next day to aid students in processing the events. "There was no active threat on the campus itself at any time," school officials emphasized, underscoring the proactive precautions taken to prevent a potential crisis. The collective sigh of relief that the situation was resolved without any harm to students or staff is a testament to the rapid response and strict safety measures in place at Oregon Episcopal School.
