Hilton bomb threat: Schools evacuated after receiving emails against LGBTQ book

On Wednesday, March 22, a bomb threat targeting the Hilton Central School District led to an evacuation across several schools. While no explosives were found, the incident shocked the community. WHAM News reported that the threat of violence was reportedly in response to an LGBTQ book titled, This Book is Gay, which is available in the school library.

As per Rochester First, the threat was sent by an anonymous individual whose email domain indicated they were in Russia. The suspect claimed that the presence of an LGBTQ book in the school library was a sign that the administration was trying to 'groom' children.

The bomb threat currently remains under investigation. Authorities have not yet made any arrests.

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The Hilton school community responds to the bomb threats

In an official statement, Hilton School Superintendent Casey Kosiorek said that the book at the center of the controversy is not required-reading and has not been checked out twice in the past.

Kosiorek condemned the threat as a hate crime.

"The book is authored and based on gay individuals, so I think that can certainly be a consideration and where people are drawing their conclusions on whether this would be a hate crime."

Kosiorek added that many parents in the school district were planning a meeting on the day of the bomb threat, to express their concerns about the book's availability in schools.

The superintendent added, however, that it is important that they all have a measured conversation, rather than rushing to conclusions about whether or not it should be banned.

Kosiorek said:

"I think more importantly, there are many ways in today’s world that we can resolve conflict and we can meet and we can discuss the best conversations. We put a lot of people at risk today by making this threat. We evacuated, as law enforcement has shared with us, over 5,000 people."

Olivia Koegel, a sophomore in the Hilton School District, said that it is important that the book stays on library shelves. Koegel said that books about LGBTQ experiences are important for many teens who are struggling with their identity.

Koegel added:

"We have a lot of teens in my generation who we are losing to suicide because they feel they can't be who they are and they are not accepted by their parents, so I want to be an advocate for all my friends and people I go to school with."

According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the school will reopen on Thursday. They are currently attempting to find the suspect behind the threat. The Hilton School District Administration stated that they have brought in extra counselors in case any students remain traumatized in the wake of the evacuation.