Student Hugging Staff Set Off Emergency Alarm: District 135

ORLAND PARK, IL — An accidental activation of the emergency notification system at Center School Tuesday happened when a student hugged a staff member, officials said.

The alarm brought police to the scene and sent the school into a brief lockdown Tuesday afternoon.

"It was determined that the alarm was falsely activated when a student hugged a staff member who was wearing a mobile device, unknowingly pushing the button, which activated the security alarm," said Orland District 135 Superintendent John Bryk in a note to families. "We will be putting measures in place to prevent this from happening again."

The Orland Park primary school, 9407 West 151st St., was placed on a brief lockdown Tuesday afternoon, District 135 officials said in an alert to parents. Orland Park police were at the scene with more en route just after noon, the alert read. Within minutes, police had cleared the building, and the lockdown was lifted, according to a followup text alert sent to parents.

"Lockdown LIFTED at Center School, police cleared building," the alert read. "Building secure — students and staff SAFE."

Bryk in a note late Tuesday afternoon acknowledged the impact of the alarm being set off.

"We would like to thank the students and staff at Center for following established procedures," Bryk wrote. "We know that this type of situation can bring feelings of fear and anxiety for students, staff, and parents. The Center School social workers are available to provide support and assistance for any member of the Center community."

Bryk said the police and district worked together quickly to address the situation.

"The safety and security of all of our students and staff is of the utmost importance and will always be our top priority at all times," he wrote. "It is because of the consistent collaboration and open lines of communication between the District and Police that we were able to quickly assess this situation and act accordingly."