Rumors keep 240 away from Prospect

The days of spreading rumors only behind cupped hands in school hallways are over.

Thanks to e-mail, text messaging and cell phones, it took one day for gossip to bloom into a full-blown panic, Prospect High School Principal Kurt Laakso learned Monday.

A rumor that there could be a school shooting caused 240 students to stay home from school Monday. Typically, about 70 students stay home, Laakso said. There are 2,100 students enrolled at Prospect,

"Some students and even parents spread misinformation and rumors like wildfire," Laakso said. "There is no immediate threat to anyone. I want to assure parents our school building is safe."

The rumor had to do with an incident that occurred Friday when a Prospect freshman boy "expressed frustration" to another student, who interpreted the comments as a threat and told school administrators.

Laakso declined to say what exactly the student was frustrated about.

"It did involve a vague threat," Laakso said. "As we normally would do, we immediately talked to the student and called his parents."

The student -- whom Laakso declined to name -- was not at school Monday. It's unclear when the student will return, Laakso said.

"We need to assess the situation, and that could take an indefinite amount of time," he said.

Although the alleged threat occurred Friday, Laakso figured the situation was under control by Saturday. But about 10 p.m. Sunday Laakso received a phone call that rumors about a planned shooting were flying back and forth among students and parents.

To calm the rumors, Laakso send out an e-mail and a recorded voice message Monday morning to all Prospect parents, telling them the school was safe and students were not at all in danger. He also told Prospect students via the school's cable television system that the rumors were overblown.

"At this point, the rumors have gone far beyond any actual concern," according to Laakso's e-mail. "It is important that we all refrain from spreading hearsay."

Mount Prospect police officer Bill Roscop said police were not looking at pressing charges against the student.