Student charged in Linganore High haz-mat

A student who reportedly brought a hazardous substance to Linganore High School at Oakdale on Thursday morning is being charged by the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

The charges are possession of incendiary with intent and reckless endangerment, said Mike Dmuchowski, a spokesman for Frederick County's Division of Fire and Rescue Services.

Dmuchowski declined to identify the student, but said he is being charged as a juvenile and has been released to his parents.

The charges were made after an investigation that evacuated students and brought numerous agencies to the county's newest high school on Eaglehead Drive off Md. 144 in Ijamsville on Thursday.

The initial call came in from school officials at 8:40 a.m., Dmuchowski said. By 7 p.m. agencies determined the building was safe. School will be open as usual today, he said.

Linganore's principal, Margaret Lyburn, said students helped school officials and she is grateful for that.

"They had the courage to step up," she said. "This was a very courageous and gutsy thing they did. This is how we avoid tragedy."

Though she has never experienced anything like this in her 30 years of working as an educator, she said, "We're sorry whenever our kids make mistakes. Kids are teenagers. They always do some dumb things."

Frederick County Public Schools spokeswoman Marita Loose said the student has had difficulties in school in the past few weeks, and disciplinary action had been taken.

Administration officials called members of the fire marshal's office, who investigated inside the school while students were evacuated, Loose said.

Fire officials then determined it was safe to re-enter the building and shortly before 10:30 a.m., students were moved from the outdoor stadium inside to the gymnasium, Loose said.

An initial plan to go ahead with lunch services and resume afternoon classes was scuttled when school and fire marshal officials determined further investigation was needed, Loose said.

Loose said accelerant-detecting dogs were brought to the school around 1:30 p.m.

Students and staff members were dismissed at about 11:30 a.m., and bus transportation was arranged, Loose said.

There was a car crash at the entrance to the school as students were leaving, Dmuchowski said. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office helped direct traffic.

Copyright 2008 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved.