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Babylon Junior-Senior HS evacuated An anonymous letter that made a veiled threat and was placed in the mail slot for a Babylon Junior Senior High School teacher led to the evacuation of the school on Friday. The incident, which included a thorough search of the building by police, lasted about two hours. Students were taken to St. Joseph's during that time. "This is a reminder of the reality we are living in," said Superintendent of Schools Ellen Best- Laimet following the incident. "You sometimes think that nothing like this is going to happen in quaint Babylon Village, but it can, which is why we all have to be prepared and have a strong protocol in place." Best-Laimet said that the evacuation "went almost flawlessly," and that it was a "teachable moment," for students, staff, police and parents. Many of the students who were evacuated made cell phone calls and text messages to their parents, who responded to pick their children up, so that when school resumed, many of the 900 enrolled students had left for the day. "I was in social studies when the principal made an announcement that we were having a drill and to go to Msgr. Nolan Hall," said 9th grade student Connor Hunter. "I was really scared." "I knew it was more serious than just a drill, because the 7th and 8th graders were taking math tests," said another 9th grader, Brendan Cunningham. Best-Laimet praised the students, staff and police for their efforts in making the evacuation go smoothly. "We started a phone chain to notify parents and one of the things that we will be considering this year as we put together our budget is a computerized contact system," said the Superintendent. The district has had an agreement with both St. Joseph's parish and the American Legion to use their facilities in the event of an emergency evacuation. Best-Laimet said the district will be revisiting that plan, as well as reviewing all of its policies and procedures. "We can always look for ways to make them even better and make sure that they are up to date," she said. One thing that helped to make the evacuation work efficiently was the presence of a Suffolk County Police Resource Officer, who is assigned to the school. "She knows the students and knows the building and got the search off quickly, which meant that our students could get back into the building quicker," she said. "The process ran smoothly and everyone was calm," said 11th grader, Steven Logan. "The teachers took charge and really knew what to do." On Sunday, The Suffolk County First Squad said that the investigation was continuing and that anyone with information should call them at 631- 854-8150. All calls will be kept confidential.
- Janine Logan contributed to this story
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