Wellesley middle school student charged with making bomb threats

By Ben Terris
Town Correspondent

A Wellesley eighth grader has been charged with emailing two bomb threats that forced the evacuation of the student's middle school last month, according to the Wellesley Police Department.

The student will be summonsed to Dedham District Juvenile Court on charges of false report of an explosive device causing disruption of a school. It is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The two bomb threats, received less than a week apart on May 22 and May 26, halted classes at the Wellesley Middle School and disrupted the nearby neighborhood. Police searched the school, and no explosive devices were found during either search.

According to the Wellesley Police Department’s website, Detective Peter McLaughlin, the department’s computer expert, was able to trace the emails and discovered both had originated from inside the Middle School. Then, with the help of the Norfolk Country District Attorney’s Office was able to identify the sender of the emails.

In an interview with the Globe, Sergeant Marie Cleary of the Wellesley Police Department said that after being confronted with the evidence the student admitted to having sent the emails. Cleary also said that no reason has been given for why the student sent the emails.

Since the student admitted sending the emails, Middle School Principal Joshua Frank wrote a note that was posted Thursday on the Swellesley Report addressing the school community.

“This situation raises serious issues for the student and family involved, and for the Wellesley Middle School community,” Frank said in his note. “The bomb hoaxes also created a trauma for our school community, bringing fear and suspicion to an environment dedicated to safety and trust. Knowing that the person responsible has been identified and held accountable allows us to put some closure on this difficult episode, and to feel safe here again.”

The letter said that the student will be charged in Juvenile Court, and also be suspended for the remainder of the year.

Frank also urged the community to be consider how sensitive an issue this is for the student and the student’s family.

“Moving forward, the student and the family have much to confront,” Frank wrote. “ For the sake of the child involved, they must be allowed to do so in privacy... We have learned during this time that the information circulating through our community is often inaccurate. It is also important to remember that we are dealing with a child, a child who may return to school next year. We want the student to return to an environment where there is an opportunity to learn and grow.”