West Babylon Junior High School student suspended after bullet found

A West Babylon Junior High School student has been suspended after bringing a bullet there to show his friends and accidentally dropping it, school officials said Thursday.

Suffolk County police said the bullet was found in a stairwell by a janitor on Tuesday, and police were notified.

The district investigated and "was able to identify the person responsible for bringing the bullet to school," district Superintendent Anthony Cacciola said in a statement Thursday. The student "had apparently taken the bullet from a relative's house . . . and decided to show some friends at school and further indicated that he was unaware that he accidentally dropped it."

School officials said the student, whose age, grade and name they did not disclose, made "an extremely poor decision" but "there was never any intent for malice or harm." The suspension is pending the outcome of a superintendent's hearing, the district said.

Police assigned an officer with the Community Oriented Police Enforcement unit to the school Thursday as a precaution.

Cacciola said the bullet posed no threat and "the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our utmost priority."

The statement, released through a public relations agency, also said homeroom teachers discussed with students the importance of reporting suspicious items, people or conversations.