Few Liberty Students Attend School After Graffiti Threat

School security was heightened at Liberty School District on Thursday after a graffiti threat was discovered in a school bathroom.

Less than 50 of Liberty High School’s 200-plus students showed up for classes Thursday, which marked the one-year anniversary of the Columbine massacre in Littleton, Colo.

Three Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies, two volunteer firefighters and school board members patrolled the school grounds Thursday, said Principal Steve Boosinger. The day passed without incident.

On Tuesday, threatening graffiti was discovered in one of the boys’ bathrooms at Liberty High, Boosinger said.

“It referenced April 20 being the anniversary date of (Columbine) and some veiled threats,” Boosinger said.

The school district sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday advising them of the incident and their plans for added security. Parents were told students would receive an excused absence if they skipped school on Thursday.

Both the high school and Liberty’s Junior High-Elementary School were put in a “semi-lockdown” status. The school entrances, except the front doors, were locked, and students were escorted in and out of the buildings.

Boosted security at the schools will continue today, Boosinger said.

Meanwhile, two Ferris High School freshmen were expelled Thursday after they set off firecrackers in the hallway to the cafeteria during the lunch hour.

The boy who brought the firecrackers to school also will face criminal charges, said Spokane School District 81 spokeswoman Terren Roloff.