Indiana elementary school teacher with alleged ‘kill list’ in custody, police say
By Raja Razek, CNN
An Indiana teacher with an alleged “kill list” was in custody Friday after a student told a counselor the teacher made comments about killing herself, students and staff, the East Chicago Police Department said.
Officers responded to a report of a threat at St. Stanislaus Catholic Elementary School about 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to the police.
The principal and assistant principal told officers a fifth-grade student informed a counselor the teacher made comments about killing herself, students and staff and that the student was at the bottom of a so-called kill list, police said in a Facebook post.
In a statement, the school said the teacher was removed from the classroom after officials learned of “a concerning report” and remained under supervision and away from students.
After students were dismissed at the end of the school day, the teacher was escorted off campus and police called at 4:45 p.m., the statement said. The school said police assured the principal the building was safe and classes could resume the next day.
“The well-being and safety of our Catholic school students and staff is a top priority,” the statement said.
“In response to this incident the principal has moved to an e-learning environment for Friday … and made resources available, including access to a school counselor, to support students during this difficult time. The school is working closely with local authorities and the Diocese of Gary’s Schools Office to ensure that St. Stanislaus students continue to have a safe and supportive environment in which they can learn, grow and prosper.”
The Diocese of Gary said in a statement that it is cooperating with authorities and reviewing the matter.
“We are deeply saddened by this event,” the archdiocese said in the statement. “School safety is a paramount concern of our schools. Due to the ongoing police investigation, we are not able to provide further details at this time and ask the community to join us in praying for healing and resolution.”
Police obtained an emergency detention order for the teacher on Thursday. She was taken into custody without incident at her home.
CNN has reached out to police for additional information. The department’s Facebook post said no further statements would be made pending the completion of the investigation.
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