The media and the office of Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. overreacted to the lockdown of a school on the Navajo Nation, the local superintendent said.

Ganado Unified School District Superintendent Deborah Jackson-Dennison said the Ganado High School was conducting a routine search for a potential weapon. But the media turned it into a much bigger story, she said, with early reports suggesting some sort of hostage situation.

Shirley's office didn't help either, Jackson-Dennison said. Staffers showed up to the school and may have contributed to the false reports, she said.

The situation began when a female student said she was harassed by five other girls in the bathroom. The student reported seeing a gun and knives but the search didn't turn up anything.

Get the Story:
Ganado superintendent `disappointed' with situation (The Farmington Daily Times 9/8)
False Alarm (The Gallup Independent 9/7)

Relevant Links:
Ganado Unified School District - http://www.ganado.k12.az.us

Related Stories:
Report of armed people at Navajo high school false (9/7)