Fenton High School evacuated, classes canceled after threats

BENSENVILLE, Ill. - Fenton High School was evacuated and classes were canceled Friday morning after threats were made against the school and an administrator.

A spokesperson from the Bensenville Police Department released a statement Friday:

"This morning, Bensenville police were notified of a bomb threat at Fenton High School at which time the school was immediately evacuated. The DuPage County Bomb Squad, with the support of six bomb sniffing dogs, has cleared the building. Students will remain home for the day as their safety remains the highest priority."

Fenton High School posted to Facebook around 8 a.m. that all students and staff were successfully evacuated from the building and school has been canceled. There will be no remote learning and all extracurricular classes have been canceled until further notice.

"We understand some students have personal possessions in the building. We will follow up with another communication later today letting you know how to retrieve those possessions," the post read.

The nature of the threats was not immediately clear.

Fenton High School has been at the center of controversy amidst allegations of sexual misconduct involving a teacher at the school.

The accused teacher was terminated earlier this week, but Bensenville Village President Frank DeSimone, along with concerned parents and students, insisted that the action was insufficient. They are demanding Fenton High School Superintendent James Ongtengco's resignation and an investigation into any school officials who were aware of the allegations but failed to take action.

DeSimone, who also has a daughter attending Fenton High School, expressed his dismay in a statement, saying, "What I have witnessed at Fenton these past few weeks is nothing short of horrific, and like so many in our community, I'm outraged at the allegations against a former teacher. And while his dismissal is a small step forward, it is not enough."

During a standing-room-only school board meeting on Wednesday, attendees, including students, parents, and community members, criticized the board for allegedly protecting the accused staff member. Allegations against the former teacher, which surfaced recently, are reported to date back several years.