When asked about the unsubstantiated rumors of clown sightings, Battle Ground Public Schools spokeswoman Rita Sanders sighs.
She isn’t alone in her exasperation.
The nationwide reports of creepy clown sightings have reached Clark County, and local school districts are trying to quell social media-fueled anxiety among parents and students. So far, no local school districts have received any credible threats of skulking clowns on their campuses.
“We have not received any confirmed reports of clowns on any of our campuses,” Sanders said. “It’s just rumors.”
Even so, districts are responding to the claims, reminding parents that they have security on campus and school resource officers helping keep students safe.
Evergreen Public Schools posted on Facebook, saying the district has not had any confirmed clown sightings or legitimate threats to schools. Much of the chatter has come from the sharing and reposting of social media posts, or fake posts intended to spook people.
“If you come across posts such as these, or hear people saying the threats are meant for one or more of our schools in Evergreen, please do not be alarmed as they are most likely not truthful,” the district said.
Vancouver Public Schools sent a letter and issued an emergency phone call to parents, urging them that local reports of clowns are likely not credible.
“You can help by not sharing these rumors, providing the facts if you hear people talking about rumors, and easing fears of students who may be concerned about the threats,” the letter reads.
Others are going a step further to try to comfort students. Ridgefield High School sent an email to students’ parents and plans to beef up security at this weekend’s homecoming festivities. An extra security guard will attend Friday’s football game and Saturday’s homecoming dance at Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield School District Superintendent Nathan McCann said.
The Ridgefield Police Department also has planned to attend the festivities to make a visible presence if things are otherwise slow in the city, he added.
“We would not have engaged with the Ridgefield police for a traditional homecoming,” McCann said. “It’s usually a relatively low-key weekend.”
Battle Ground Public Schools, meanwhile, is just trying to calm worried parents as they call in. On Tuesday, the district did have a 15-minute lockdown at Battle Ground High School because a student went missing after an argument with another student, Sanders said. But after a Facebook game of telephone, the lockdown was mistakenly reported as being caused by clowns.
That’s simply untrue, Sanders said.
“There’s a great deal of hysteria,” Sanders said.
So far, smaller districts including Camas, La Center and Washougal have not responded to any clown sightings or issued notices to parents. Woodland Public Schools put a post on its website similar to other districts, calling the rumors “not truthful.”
To be sure, the creepy clown incidents are causing trouble across the country. The reports began this August in Greenville, S.C., when a boy reported seeing two clowns behind his apartment building trying to lure him into the woods.
Usually, the reports are just of someone wearing clown masks or makeup and wandering around — which, while it might be scary, isn’t a crime, notes Sgt. Fred Neiman of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
“I don’t know if people are trying to be funny and alarming the public unnecessarily,” Neiman said. “I’m hopeful it’s one of those fads.”
That happened in Puyallup, where a junior at Rogers High School was arrested by Pierce County sheriff’s deputies Tuesday for making false reports of clown sightings, including a report that someone had been stabbed in a clown hunt, according to The Seattle Times. The unnamed teen told the sheriff’s office it was a joke that “got out of control.”
So far, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Vancouver Police Department have received a few reports of clown sightings, but have not seen or contacted any clowns.
“It’s hard for us to know if these are legitimate clown sightings or if people are just feeding into the fear of clowns,” Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. “The rumor mill is getting a little bit out of control.”
Reporter Adam Littman contributed to this report.
