EVERETT — A former Glacier Peak High School student can avoid jail time for a series of bomb threats if she doesn’t break the law for the next two years.
The woman, now 19, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two gross misdemeanors, including malicious mischief and harassment. She escaped a felony conviction as originally charged.
Superior Court Judge Millie Judge sentenced the woman last week to 364 days in jail on each count but agreed to suspend the time. Instead, the teen will be on probation for two years.
The judge ordered the defendant to be evaluated for substance abuse and follow any treatment recommendations.
Prosecutors alleged that the teen was responsible for bomb threats at Glacier Peak in 2015 that led the principal to lock bathrooms.
The threats forced students out of their classrooms while the messages were investigated. In some instances, students were restricted to their classrooms unless there was an emergency. Bathroom breaks were limited to the periods between classes, and school staff was instructed to regularly check the restrooms.
The defendant was 17 at the time of the threats. She told police that she struggles with anxiety and depression and also uses drugs.
The teen said she’d written a threat in April on a dare. She blamed the other threats, written seven months later, on her anxiety. The girl said she’s afraid of public speaking and she was supposed to give a speech in class that week.
“All I wanted to do was get out of here and I was willing to do it any way possible,” the student wrote.
A fourth attempt was foiled by an administrative assistant, according to court papers. It was that threat that uncovered the girl’s crime spree.
An administrative assistant was checking a bathroom after two days of bomb threats when she saw the teen come out of a stall.
The student asked why the school was on modified lockdown, and the staff member explained about the two previous threats. The student washed her hands and then removed a piece of notebook paper from her pocket. She told the woman she found the note on the floor behind a toilet. It was another bomb threat.
She asked the staff member if the school would be emptied again.
Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy inspected the note. The handwriting was consistent with a threat left the previous day.
Several staff members told police the student “often leaves class without permission, finds excuses to be out of class, or lies about her whereabouts,” charging papers said.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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