On Wednesday, Hilton Central School District, located north of Rochester in New York, was evacuated after the district received an email threatening to detonate pipe bombs that were allegedly placed in all five schools, the district office, and the superintendent’s house. The threat was made in response to the school system’s alleged encouragement of children to read LGBT-inclusive literature that contained graphic sexual content. After a thorough police search, no explosives were found, and all children were confirmed safe.
Deputies responded to the email threat, which was also sent to local media outlets, and kept students outside the schools in buses or lines while agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives assisted in investigating the incident. Parents were asked to retrieve their children from school, and classes were canceled for the day.
The threatening email contained numerous spelling and grammatical errors, and accused the school district of violating children’s innocence by allowing them to read LGBT-inclusive literature such as “This Book Is Gay” and promoting hook-up apps. The author of the email referred to the school officials as “disgusting degenerates” and threatened to kill them for allegedly grooming children.
Far-right activists, including Chaya Raichik of the Twitter hate account Libs of TikTok, have targeted schools, teachers, and other institutions nationwide by casting educators as “groomers” trying to indoctrinate children into a “woke liberal agenda.” Raichik recently pressured an Iowa school district to remove “This Book Is Gay” from its library without following established reconsideration procedures.
Superintendent Dr. Casey Kosiorek condemned the threat and the disruption it caused to the school community, noting that innocent staff and children could have been hurt. While the threat was deemed not credible, law enforcement will be present during arrival and dismissal for the remainder of the week out of an abundance of caution.
The incident highlights the ongoing pushback against LGBT-inclusive education in schools and the dangerous consequences of far-right rhetoric. As educators continue to promote diversity and inclusivity in the classroom, it is essential to ensure their safety and the safety of their students.