An elementary school that recently made headlines for hosting an After School Satan Club was evacuated Tuesday amid a bomb threat.
BM Williams Primary School in Chesapeake, Virginia, released students just after noon after administrators initially placed the facility on a “level one lockdown.”
The bomb threat comes just days after the school held its first meeting of the After School Satan Club, referenced in an email alerting officials to the threat.
“You’re evil, there’s no other way to put it,” read the email WAVY received. “They promote devil worship and un-Islamic values.”
The After School Satan Club is an organization that has chapters nationwide and was founded by the Satanic Temple. According to its website, the club does not teach Satanism.
An elementary school that recently made headlines for hosting an After School Satan Club was evacuated Tuesday following a bomb threat
Families now say they are upset by the attention the club is giving to the school
The club is said to be “educating children and encouraging critical thinking.”
According to Lucien Greaves, a spokesman for the temple, the non-proselytizing club aims to “educate children and encourage critical thinking.”
Although temple officials claim the organization does not teach Satanism, chapters that have been formed in schools across the country have faced massive backlash.
In November, reported the launch of a branch at an elementary school in Tehachapi, California.
In an interview at the time, one parent described the decision to admit the club as “disgusting”, while another called it “a mistake”.
BM Williams’ parents in Virginia appear to agree, as protests have been arranged since the club’s first meeting on February 16.
Some families now say they are upset by the attention the club is giving to the school.
“It’s a hassle, it’s a lot, there’s no need to worry about a club for your kids’ safety,” said one local mother.
“They have to fix it,” said another parent, speaking to 13News Now on camera.
“They need to stop this and get her out of school,” the mother continued.
A child who spoke to the outlet said he initially thought the lockdown was a joke but grew scared when he realized it was real.
The school was placed on “level 1 lockdown” as officers investigated the bomb threat
A child who spoke to 13 News Now said he initially thought the lockdown was a joke but became scared when he realized it was real
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHABiECE0CY
The Satanic Temple website describes the club as a path to education without proselytizing
Parents and families are now calling on the district to cancel the After School Satan Club
Police searched the school for several hours Tuesday but found nothing.
Initially, two explosives detection K9s were alerted to a backpack in a classroom, local outlets reported, but Virginia State Police used an X-ray to scan the bag.
The bag was found to be empty and no other items were found.
The school administration said they plan to increase the police presence in the coming days.
Police officials confirmed after students and staff were evacuated on Tuesday that the bomb threat did appear to be linked to the controversial club.
“A motive for the threat is uncertain, but the language in the email appears to point to an After School Satan Club that recently held a meeting at the school,” the police department said.
The matter is still under investigation by Chesapeake Fire Marshals, the Chesapeake Police and the FBI.
No suspects have been arrested so far.
Police officials confirmed after students and staff were evacuated on Tuesday that the bomb threat did appear to be linked to the controversial club
This is a snippet of Satanic Temple’s own video explaining the club’s purpose
This is the logo of The Satanic Temple, founder of the After School Satan Club
Around the same time that investigators placed the Virginia school under lockdown, the Satanic Temple headquarters in Salem, Oregon, and the “general area” were evacuated.
According to The Salem News, just after 8:30 a.m., an email was sent to store employees stating: “We planted a bomb in the Satanic Temple in Salem. In the name of Allah we will kill all satanic degenerates.’
The situation was clarified hours later after police determined the threat was a hoax, the Oregon outlet reported.
“The Satanic Temple and surrounding areas have been searched and cleared of the earlier bomb threat,” a public warning said.