Perkiomen Valley schools dismiss early after bomb threat citing bathroom policy

The Perkiomen Valley School District dismissed early Thursday, after receiving a bomb threat that cited the district’s policy of letting transgender students use bathrooms aligned with their gender identities.

According to the Pottstown Mercury, an email sent to the district said: “We placed a bombs at Perkiomen Valley High School, district buildings and a target.”

“Perkiomen Valley High school has failed to create a safe learning environment for its students and put the safety and wellbeing of its girls at risk,” the email said, according to the Mercury. “You care more about the 0.1% minority than the majority. You are willing to put girls at risk of being sexually assaulted and raped, disregarding their comfort so that you can assert yourself as being progressive woke heroes.”

The message continued: “What you are doing is dangerous. ...We’re not going to tolerate you sick perverted freaks, you are child abusers and have forfeit your right to life you (expletive) pieces of (expletive). We will (expletive) kill all of you bastards. YOU WILL UNDO THIS BATHROOM DECISION OR YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FACE OUR WRATH.”

Superintendent Barbara Russell declined to comment Thursday afternoon on whether the threat received by the district was related to the bathroom policy, which has been the subject of intense community debate. The school board took up, then narrowly voted down, a policy that would have banned transgender students from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identities — an issue that drew attention after a man said his daughter was distressed to use a bathroom at the high school while a student she believed was male was also there.

Russell has said there had been no issues reported to the district around its policy, which affected a small number of students. LGBTQ students, families and supporters had criticized the board for considering the policy change.

Meanwhile, 300 students walked out of Perkiomen Valley High School last week, carrying signs that read “Keep boys out of women’s restrooms and vice-versa” and “Stay in your bathroom.”

In a message to families Thursday, district officials said the threat that spurred their decision to dismiss early was different than the “swatting” threats received by a number of other suburban districts Thursday, but stemmed from “concerning and specific threats made to Perkiomen Valley School District.”

“After consulting with security and local law enforcement, we have made the decision to promptly execute the early dismissal of students,” the district told families. “The transportation company has been alerted, and they are actively coordinating transportation arrangements as quickly as possible.” After-school activities were also canceled.