Threat to teacher closes Mosier Community School; Meeting tonight, April 10, to address safety
Mosier Community School
By Tom Peterson
After a Mosier teacher was threatened with a “bullet to the head,” by a 20-plus-year-old former student, Mosier Community School shut down on Friday, April 7 and today, Monday, April 10.
The Mosier Community School Board is set to hold a meeting at the school tonight, April 10 at 5 p.m., to address concerns and further discuss how best to ensure the safety of the Mosier School Community.
The threat came on April 4th, according to a press release from Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill.
Yorick Infante
The threats were made public on Facebook and screenshots show that Yorick Infante, who lives near the school, made the threats.
Magill said deputies, Oregon State Police investigators, and one investigator from Hood River immediately responded to the situation after Mosier School Principal Janet Carter reported the threat to a 911 dispatcher.
An intensive investigation evaluated Infante’s intention and found no crime had been committed, the Sheriff reported. Rather the former student was suffering from an emotional disturbance related to events in the past.
In addition, he said Infante was voluntarily transported to Unity Hospital in Portland to receive treatment.
Infante returned to Mosier on April 6th and made contact with the Mid-Columbia Center for Living in for follow-up appointments, Magill said, noting Infante was actively following plans put in place by mental health practitioners.
The Mosier Community School Board met on Friday, April 7th, to discuss further steps to address school security and created the following action plan which includes hiring a security company to provide guards in the school through the end of the school year.
The School Board Unanimously approved the following:
• Initiated contact with an on-site security company, and will hire them through June 2023
• All exterior doors on the main building and the Hillside building have been rekeyed
• Cancelling campus rentals for non school-sponsored functions during the school year until further notice
• Law enforcement presence at the school during the school day with heightened patrols of the campus
• All vendors are required to sign in and will be accompanied by a staff member
• Law Enforcement Threat Assessment scheduled for the week of 4/10/23
The actions below are what will be accomplished:
• Review and enhance the school security system provided by ASET
• Remaining exterior doors on the Annex and Gizmo buildings will be rekeyed
• One single point of entry at the main door and the remaining doors will be exit only
• Two new metal doors for the main entrance and the gym doors
• New security system for the front door
• Alarmed exit bars for stage and east doors
• Two additional security cameras ordered for our current system
• Streamlined safety bars on glass at either side of the main doors
• Additional lighting on campus
• Install a gate at the west side fence with locking capability
• Additional staff and security accompanying students during passing periods
• Additional Teachers Assistant will be hired for recess duty
• Provide time for staff and students to process social-emotional issues as they arise
“We look forward to seeing and hearing from our MCS community Monday, April 10th at 5 p.m. If you are unable to attend that meeting but would like to offer input or need further information, please reach out to any board member or our ED,” the Board wrote.
“Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, parental discretion is advised in regard to having children attend the meeting. The board and administration will continue to work with MCS staff to ensure that we take appropriate action and make changes as needed to continue to ensure the safety of our MCS students and staff. The board and our executive director will continue to be available for any members of the community.”
