HAZEL PARK, Mich – A junior high school teacher in Michigan is facing charges after allegedly placing a note with a bomb threat in his classroom where it would be discovered in order to get a day off, police said.
The teacher in question was identified as 40-year-old Paul Jacobs, of Livonia. The threatening note was found by another school employee on Thursday, Feb. 2, in Jacobs’ classroom at the Hazel Park Junior High School. It said the school would be blown up the following day, WXYZ Detroit reported.
The facility was searched by police and several K9 units Thursday evening, but no explosives were discovered. Investigators initially thought Jacobs saw the note, but failed to report it. Now they believe he actually placed the note himself with the intention of having classes canceled, according to mlive.com.
“Kids are, kids are scared,” Hazel Park Schools superintendent Dr. Amy Kruppe said. “Threats that continue to happen in schools are traumatizing for kids. I don’t think you are ever numb to it.”
Law enforcement authorities did not outline how they deduced the note originated from Jacobs, but said it was intentionally placed in order to have school canceled.
“Hazel Park Police have taken every case seriously within the schools and that’s wonderful because we are communicating to our community that this is not a joke,” Kruppe said, according to WXYZ.
Jacobs is charged with making an intentional threat of an act of violence against a school, employees or students. He was arraigned Feb. 4 and is due back in court on Tuesday, Feb. 28 for a pretrial hearing.
