An elementary school in Oakland was evacuated Tuesday morning for a bomb threat, according to police.
The threat, which investigators said included racial undertones, was reported at about 7:30 a.m. at Chabot Elementary School.
"I am outraged that our children, educators and neighbors have been targeted by malicious threats," Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "My office is in contact with Oakland Unified School District and police as we seek answers. We are monitoring the situation closely."
An annual play date event at the campus put on by parents and the school may have been the reason for the threat. The event is specifically for minority students, but for some reason this year it was highlighted and heavily criticized by those who said it is an act of segregation.
That's when parents said things turned dangerous.
Tamila Jackson was dropping off her fifth-grade student at Chabot early Tuesday when she said she and others were told to take their kids home because someone had made a bomb threat.
"I'm at the point where I don't feel safe with my son being there," Jackson said.
Jackson is part of the school's equity and inclusion committee and said the threats started Sunday. The threats targeted the group and school administration after they hosted the annual play date for Black, brown and AAPI students.
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The group called police and the school after flyers for the play date social were posted online and triggered several anonymous threats, including an email threatening a race war.
"All of our contact information was on the flyer, so they decided to start emailing us threats, asking us if we wanted a race war," Jackson said. "There was something mentioned about us being locked in chains and released back into the jungle."
Police said about 30 kids were safely evacuated with staff after the threat came in Tuesday morning. Two nearby homes were also evacuated, and K-9 units were used to clear all three locations.
The FBI is now helping investigate to determine if those behind the threats could be charged with a hate crime.
"The email has some racial undertones in it and we are currently investigating that right now," Oakland police Capt. Lisa Ausmus said.
Those blasting the play date social said it amounts to an sanctioned "no whites allowed play date," but a parent said the event was meant to create a safe space for minority students in a prominent white school, and added it has not been an issue before.
Some parents said they don't know when they will feel safe bringing their kids back to the classroom.
"They need to make sure that they ensure the safety of our students," Jackson said. "If they can't, us as parents will stand out here and make sure and just imagine what that can turn into."
Thao said these threats have no place in Oakland.
“There is no excuse in this world that you can give me that would allow for this type of violent response, this kind of threat. To not just the whole school but our children,” said the mayor. "Bomb threats to schools are never OK under any circumstances, I don't care what your excuse may be."
Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell sent the following letter to the community on Tuesday:
"Dear Oakland Unified Community,
I want to reach out to share with you some details of a concerning situation that developed this week at Chabot Elementary School.
The school community is on alert due to racist and threatening emails and calls that members of the school community have received, including bomb threats today. The threats are in response to a school event this past weekend. The school and its Equity and Inclusion Committee hosted a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Playdate on the afternoon of Saturday, August 26 which was intended to build and promote positive affinity spaces for students and families of color.
Chabot is a diverse school community with more than half of the student population identifying as students of color. This playdate aimed to create an affinity space where Black, Brown, and API families can build and sustain connection and belonging at the school. It’s one of many examples of the important work we do for equity and inclusion across the District.
The District first learned of these threatening messages yesterday, shortly before noon. We immediately contacted the Oakland Police Department (OPD) which began preparing an internal intelligence report and sent officers to the school before classes let out for the day.
As a precaution, the OUSD Central Safety Support Team was assigned to be on campus throughout the day today. At about 8:00 am, school and District leaders learned of the bomb threat against the school. District officials again immediately alerted OPD, relocated students and staff who were on site to the baseball field adjacent to the school and advised parents dropping off students to take them home. Officers arrived shortly after, secured the campus and conducted a thorough bomb search, before declaring an all-clear for Chabot to reopen tomorrow.
This incident, along with multiple threatening emails, phone calls and social media posts are being taken seriously by Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Police Department. The FBI is also now involved in this active investigation.
The Mayor’s Office has committed to maintaining police presence near the school for the remainder of this week. District and City leaders, in partnership with the school administration, will host a community town hall next week. We plan to welcome students, staff and families back to the Chabot campus tomorrow morning with coordinated safety and mental health support in place.
OUSD remains, as always, committed to the physical safety and emotional well-being of our students, families and educators."
