District 50 wants prank caller charged

Woodland Elementary District 50 officials say they intend to seek charges against the person who left an alarming voice-mail message for an employee that turned out to be a prank.

In a statement, Joy Swoboda, superintendent of the Gurnee-based district, said the employee at Woodland Middle School in the village notified her principal that the suspicious voice-mail message had been left on her classroom phone. Swoboda said the message was left Tuesday evening.

Swoboda said the origin of the call was traced and Gurnee police have identified the person who left the message. She said while it was determined the message was a prank intended for the worker, Woodland plans to pursue charges against the individual.

Officials used the district's crisis plan and immediately notified Gurnee police when the message became known Wednesday morning. To ensure the safety of the students and staff, the middle school underwent a soft lockdown, during which time police investigated and found the building to be safe, officials said.