Threat of violence written in Loyola bathroom stall reportedly draws police investigation

A threat of violence against Loyola Academy was found written inside a bathroom stall at the Wilmette school on Wednesday, according to a message Loyola administrators emailed to school parents on Wednesday.

According to Loyola’s email, a student alerted administrators to the threatening message and the school contacted the Wilmette Police Department and the Wednesday, Nov. 13 threat as well as others recently made on social media.

Neither Loyola Academy nor the police department immediately returned messages from The Record; however, on Thursday, Loyola administrators sent another email to parents sharing that while the investigation into the written threat is ongoing, the school identified and disciplined multiple juveniles responsible for the social media threats against the school.

It is unclear as of press time if the social media threats are related to the threat found in the school bathroom.

The threatening note in the bathroom — a picture of which was obtained by The Record — contained several lines of text scrawled on one of the stall’s walls. It was a general threat of violence on a specific date. The Record is not providing any further details of the message.

The school’s first email to parents says that expulsion and criminal charges “will be pursued as consequences of this action.”

Loyola classes were in session on Thursday, Nov. 14, and will also be on Friday, Nov. 15, according to information in the school’s emails. The school campus will maintain a “heightened” police presence “for the foreseeable future,” according to the Thursday email.

“If you feel it is in your child’s best interest to remain home at home, we respect your decision, and any absence for this reason will be excused,” said the Thursday email, which is signed by President Gregory Ostdiek and Principal Tim Devine.

An image of the bathroom threat reportedly is being circulated among students in the area. In response, New Trier High School officials also emailed district parents making them aware of the incident at Loyola Academy, which is located less than a mile from New Trier’s Northfield campus, and dismissing rumors of any active threat to the school.

The message from New Trier Asst. Superintendent and Winnetka campus Principal Denise Dubravec says, “We have been in close contact with our local police departments, and we have heard various rumors connecting the Loyola incident to New Trier. Having extensively investigated these rumors, we have no information to support that there is any threat to New Trier.”

New Trier, however, did request additional police presence at both of its campuses, according to Dubravec’s email.

Stay tuned to TheRecordNorthShore.org as this story develops

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