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BREAKING: Obama Daughters’ School Evacuated Following Threat
Sidwell Friends, the school where President Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia attend, evacuated students and staff from its Wisconsin Avenue campus this morning following a phoned-in threat. By Carol Ross Joynt
Comments () | Published October 18, 2012

Sidwell Friends—the school President Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, attend—evacuated students and staff from its Wisconsin Avenue campus this morning following a phoned-in threat. The details of the threat and whether it had any connection to the First Family daughters was not immediately available Thursday morning.

The following message was distributed through the school's emergency notification system around 11:30 AM today: “This is an emergency message from Sidwell Friends School. Due to a suspicious phone call, the buildings on the Wisconsin Avenue campus have been evacuated. We will notify you when further information is available.”

Threats at the school are not entirely uncommon, according to current and former students, who have weathered the random phone threats that come with modern high school life. Following standard protocol this morning, students were taken to the campus soccer field after being evacuated from the building.

UPDATE 11:57 AM: An all-clear signal has now been given and students are returning to the campus, according to a parent. 

UPDATE 12:08 PM: We reached the school's security office, but representatives declined to comment on the situation.

UPDATE 12:25 PM: Shortly after noon, Sidwell Friends sent this message to parents: "As reported earlier, the School received a suspicious phone call and evacuated the buildings on the Wisconsin Avenue campus. After an investigation by law enforcement officials, it was determined that students were not at risk. They have returned to class." 

One SFS parent told The Washingtonian that during a security sweep conducted by the Secret Service the students were evacuated to the soccer field. There's no information yet on how or to where the Obama girls were evacuated. We did receive a phone call from Ellis Turner, the associate head of Sidwell Friends, who confirmed that students had returned to their classes. He said the suspicious phone call came into the school's administrative offices. He would not say who took the call or whether the caller was male or female.
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  • clr1390

    Nothing surprises me from the crooks on the right..They stoop to new lows on every issue..Their obsession to unseat the black man has taken them to new lows even for them.

  • Tyroanee

    When children whom have nothing to do with this are involved in grown-up crazy games, it's no longer a game folks.
    Violence has become the new mute button, it's time to can this behavior, as we have already ascended from the caves gentlemen!

  • Re-diculous

    Suspicious phone call? It was probably more like, someone dialed the wrong number talking gibberish and some moron took it oh so seriously. I compare this story to the freelance photographers taking photos of trains, planes and automobiles who get arrested by the FBI under the auspices of terror....can't wait to move out of this country.

  • CC

    I called this morning for my kids dentist appointment and the receptionist took the call just fine, even asked what time they could expect my child.

  • Re-diculous

    I ordered a pizza last night....today, I ordered Edible Arrangements for my wife...everything went smoothly.

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Posted at 11:39 AM/ET, 10/18/2012 RSS | Print | Permalink | Comments () | Washingtonian.com Blogs