North Carolina man pleads guilty to sending threats to Virginia Beach Catholic school
VIRGINIA BEACH — A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Monday to sending a threatening email to a Virginia Beach Catholic school after it suspended a student for failing to immediately report that a classmate had a bullet.
Bobby Dale Francisco II, 31, entered a plea to threatening bodily harm in writing and will be sentenced in August, according to prosecutors. The crime is a felony that carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Francisco was arrested in September at his home in South Mills, North Carolina. He was later extradited to Virginia and has been held without bond since then.
St. John the Apostle Catholic School, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, received the threat several days before Francisco was arrested. The email was sent through the 'contact us' form on the school's website, according to a statement of facts entered in the case. It also included Francisco's name, address and phone number, the statement said.
'Your school is about to become infamous for not taking safety seriously,' the message said. 'What is it better to have a school shooting because kids now know if they report anything they get in trouble? What if it was your kid that was going to die from being shot would that be okay? No? Why isn't having your own flesh and blood killed not good? Why is death better than living? I would not be surprised if yall [sic] had a school shooting that takes place in the near future because kids don't want to get in trouble for reporting something illegal. And to think your [sic] Christians… yall [sic] will be joining me in hell for I am Satan and I will get my revenge on each and every one of you who works for the school. Good luck staying alive.'
After receiving the message, St. John's administrators closed the school for two days and hired a private security firm.
When contacted by police, Francisco said he didn't remember everything written in the message but admitted sending it, the statement said. He said he never intended to harm anyone and was merely venting his frustration over media reports about the student's suspension.
The mother of the 11-year-old boy who was suspended sued the school afterwards. Last month, Virginia Beach District Judge Vivian Henderson ruled in her favor, calling it 'appalling' for the school to punish the boy for 'trying to do the right thing.'
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
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