Following Two False Threats, Some ELHS Teachers Call for Stronger Emergency Coordination
The East Lansing Public Schools’ response to two “swatting” calls in three school days has drawn concerns from teachers, who say there was confusion and security breakdowns.
The morning of May 1, East Lansing High School was targeted by a bomb threat, which led to the building being evacuated and students being dismissed early. The following school week on Tuesday, a gunman was reported outside the building shortly after the school day ended. Both calls ended up being deemed false threats, known as swatting calls, but some high school staff members are troubled by the district’s response.
Teachers who spoke with East Lansing Info said a lack of centralized communication brought confusion and the emergency response app used by staff was not utilized properly.
One teacher who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution said that during both lockdowns, they were left to comfort worried students. They received a “hold in place” message through the district’s emergency alert app. A “hold in place” is a step down from a full-fledged lockdown, typically used for non-threatening events like a medical emergency, a teacher explained to ELi.
“While reading that message,” they said, “I looked up to see armed individuals carrying large rifles approaching my classroom. At first, I did not know whether they were tactical officers or an actual threat. There is a significant difference between being told police officers will be securing areas and unexpectedly seeing armed individuals with visible weapons approaching classroom doors and checking handles. My students were visibly frightened, and I had no opportunity to prepare or reassure them beforehand because I myself was trying to quickly assess the situation and determine whether we should still be operating under a hold in place or transitioning to a more serious lockdown response.”
The teacher said they heard the school’s head of security request an immediate lockdown multiple times over the radio once the tactical team entered the building. However, administrators did not immediately respond.
“Incidents like this contribute to staff concerns regarding decision-making, response timing, and overall emergency coordination during rapidly evolving situations,” the teacher said.
English teacher Tim Akers said he was not in school May 1, but reported similar confusion during Tuesday’s lockdown. He said that at 2:45 that afternoon, most teachers were in the library for a staff meeting while he was still in his classroom with three students who were making up a test. As soon as a lockdown was announced over the public address system, one of his students burst into tears.
“Soon thereafter,” Akers told ELi in an email, “I received a notice on our Panic Button app, which is supposed to be our line of communication during an emergency, that alerted us to a report of a fire. I found this strange, as no fire alarms had gone off.”
Akers said further messages from teachers in the staff meeting alerted him of an armed suspect was outside the building, and his students were receiving texts from friends telling them the same.
“I wasn’t sure if I should get the kids out of the building due to a potential fire or keep them inside due to a potential gunman,”Akers said. “Needless to say, my kids became even more distressed as we weren’t sure what actions to take.”
He said he next texted Associate Principal Jeff Lampi for more information, leading Lampi to come to his classroom and give instructions on how to exit the building. During this time, Principal Ashley Schwarzbek announced over the PA that all individuals should stay in their rooms.
The anonymous teacher echoed Akers’ frustration, saying teachers were relying on group messages and word-of-mouth updates because “clear, centralized communication was not consistently being provided through official emergency systems or announcements.”
“Had this been a real active threat rather than a false report, these communication breakdowns and conflicting instructions could have created serious safety risks for both staff and students,” the anonymous teacher said.
On Wednesday, administrators held a staff meeting to update teachers on the previous day’s situation.
Akers said he asked Schwarzbek why communication protocol was not followed and was told that administrators are still learning to incorporate the technology and that “everyone was very busy.”
The anonymous teacher said several staff members sought clarification and accountability at that meeting, but concerns were redirected and discussion was moved away from an open staff conversation.
“My concerns are not about criticizing emergency personnel or causing panic,” the anonymous teacher said, “but about whether current district communication and response procedures are providing staff and students with the safest and clearest possible guidance during rapidly evolving situations.”
ELPS Board of Education Vice President Tali Faris-Hylen told ELi that her child called her on Tuesday during the lockdown and was not in a classroom.
“I think the fact that it was after school,” she said, “and then you have a bunch of students who are dismissed but waiting for practices to start — that’s why my daughter was there – so they’re not contained in any classroom where you can adhere to our typical practice and procedure, right? So it was really hard.”
She said that her child called her from the bathroom, panicking. She instructed them to lock the door and tried her best to talk them through it.
Faris-Hylen praised Superintendent Dori Leyko for alerting the board quickly about the lockdown.
“I think it’s impossible for there not to be confusion,” Faris-Hylen said. “But once everybody was communicating internally and in the building, I know there were announcements being made. Administration was going through the halls and making sure to gather students and staff who were in the hallways to get them into secure mode.”
Akers, however, thinks the district and administration can do better. He told ELi he is recommending that the teachers union, the East Lansing Education Association, or ELEA, file a grievance based on Michigan statute requiring “school districts to adopt and implement comprehensive school safety plans, including clear procedures for lockdowns and emergency situations.”
He said the law places responsibility on the district to pre-plan, train and reliably execute internal communication systems so staff can respond quickly and appropriately during lockdowns. Akers believes that since the district put staff through training and drills regarding the use of the Panic Button app but failed to follow the protocols, it has fallen short of the statute.
ELEA President Will Paddock said the union will consider Akers’ grievance suggestion, but that he would prefer to work in “collaboration and cooperation with building and district administration.”
“Both the ELEA and the ELPS administration want our buildings to be safe places for teachers, students and staff,” he said. “We believe the best outcomes can come from collaborative efforts to ensure the safety of our schools.”
Paddock said he met with teachers after school on Wednesday to provide additional opportunities for feedback and discussion. He said some teachers have frustrations with how the district responded and concerns about communication.
He said the union and district have a responsibility to have well-thought-out plans for responding to emergencies.
“I am confident that administration and teachers alike,” Paddock said, “want to keep our schools safe. In the wake of these threats, ELEA leadership and ELPS administration have begun discussions about our response. Superintendent Leyko has encouraged me to collect feedback from members with the understanding that we will continue to work on this together. We learn more each time these incidents happen, and each time we practice and drill for these scenarios, we learn as well. We definitely learned some things during the incident on Friday and again during the incident on Tuesday. I anticipate that our response plan will improve.”
ELi reached out to Leyko and Schwarzbek for comment.
Leyko declined to be interviewed but said, “We’ve debriefed with the staff and offered an opportunity for feedback from every staff member so all voices can be heard. The large majority of the staff have not communicated feelings of confusion.”