Charles Flanagan High School was evacuated early Wednesday morning after a wooden cabinet with racial slurs scribbled on it was discovered in the school's courtyard.
The dresser had the words "Open Me" and "Surprise Inside" scribbled on its surface, with a drawing of a swastika below the words "I hate [N-word]."
The Broward Sheriff's Office bomb squad was called to the scene, and classes were evacuated around 7:40 a.m.
Investigators arrived to try to figure out if the abandoned dresser was a threat and conducted a sweep of the remainder of the school to make sure there weren't any other suspicious items left on campus. Police say no other items were found.
According to a report from Pembroke Pines Police, officers received a call about the dresser around 6:45 a.m., well before classes began for the day. Since the dresser was found before classes were in session, arriving students were taken to the bleachers on the field rather than being allowed on campus.
Parents were immediately notified via a phone message that said, "Good morning parents: Please be advised that as a precaution we have evacuated our campus due to the presence of a suspicious package. All staff and students are safe. Law enforcement is working with us to ensure the campus is safe and secure."
According to the Sun Sentinel, parents who drove back to the school to get their kids ran into traffic backed up about a quarter mile from Flanagan, which is located on 12900 Taft St.
Nobody believed me Pembroke Pines in the #thuglife bomb threat in flanagan high school pic.twitter.com/GLGWNrdxbO
— koolkriztian (@ripgamecity) September 24, 2014
The all-clear was given at 10:30 after the bomb squad dismantled the dresser and found nothing but papers and bricks inside the dresser drawers.
Flanagan teachers have returned to their classrooms for inspections. A determination will be made afterwards regarding students returning.
— Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) September 24, 2014
Classes resumed for the day.
267 by Chris Joseph
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