WALDORF – Westlake High School students sat in the grandstands around their football field for two hours midday Monday while authorities swept the school looking for a bomb. 

Shortly after 11 a.m. Monday morning the 911 line at the Charles County Sheriff’s Department received notice of a bomb threat at Westlake High School.  A male voice said a bomb would explode at the school.  The Sheriff’s Department notified Westlake while county officers and state troopers were dispatched, and the school administration evacuated the students to the athletic field. 

The Board of Education procedure for emergency situations tells parents and guardians “DON’T… Rush to the school or call the individual schools in emergency situations. Parents will be kept informed through the system information line, schoolsout.com, and television and radio stations.”

However, students with mobile phones contacted their parents and passenger vehicles began to line the access road in front of Westlake. A small group of concerned parents stood clustered around both barricades. 

They wanted their children.  Now.  But, the school didn’t plan to release the children.  If a threat is unfounded, children return to class. 

One of the people waiting, who asked not to be named, said that they were all frustrated with the long wait and lack of information.  This person had been called away from work by a grandchild who attends Westlake.  Just before The Bay Net arrived, several people at the barricade were arguing with the police officers.  The officers looked as frustrated with the parents as the parents were with the procedure. 

K9 bomb detection teams searched the school thoroughly but discovered nothing which indicated the presence of a bomb.  A little after 1 p.m., the school was declared safe and students were called back to class via loudspeaker announcement to the athletic field.  Parents were still clustered at the barricades asking for information. 

Board of Education Spokeswoman Katie O’Malley-Simpson told The Bay Net that “everything was handled according to established procedure.  We take these things very seriously.”  O’Malley-Simpson also told us that Westlake Vice-Principal Shelley McDaniel did take time to reassure the parents at the barricade after all the students had returned to class. 

Ms O’Malley-Simpson further explained that school administrators are trained to deal with these threats and drills are conducted to instruct students and teachers.  The school follows the advice and guidance of the Sheriff’s Department.  Westlake parents and guardians will be informed via a letter from the principal sent home this afternoon. 

A press release about the