CENTERTON -- A West High School student was arrested Thursday in connection with a bomb threat posted on social media, according to the school's principal.
Police notified school officials of the threat about 7:45 p.m. Thursday. No evidence of a bomb was discovered after school employees and police checked the campus, Principal Jonathon Guthrie said.
Police already identified the student alleged to have posted the threat and visited the student's home by the time Guthrie got the call about it, he said. The district didn't release the student's name.
"This individual had no way of making a bomb and we believe no intention of putting any student in any kind of danger," Guthrie said. "That said, we want to make it clear students can't make jokes like that. You can't talk about things like that. We take it all very seriously."
He declined comment on what kind of action the district would take against the student, but said School District officials operated within district policies and guidelines in responding to the incident.
Debbie Jones, superintendent of the Bentonville School District, said by email Friday the safety of students is the district's top priority.
"We cannot tolerate threats and guess the intentions of others. The consequences of these acts are serious, often leading to expulsion and criminal charges," Jones said.
Parents and guardians were notified of the threat in a message from Guthrie late Thursday. He encouraged them to talk to their children about "the criminal and educational consequences" of making such threats.
NW News on 01/20/2018