While Batman conquers bad guys to protect Gotham City,  custodian Sam Bailey conquered a bat to protect Lancer Nation on Friday, Jan. 9.

The unexpected visitor was spotted flying through the science department in the 500s, prompting staff to deal with the situation and call for help.

The bat was discovered close to the end of A period, which also happens to be the science department’s prep period. 

Once the bat was reported to the main office, the administration called for  “clear hallways” from 8:06 to around 8:10 to make sure all students and staff were safe. 

House 2 Assistant Principal Ryan O’Connor said everyone moved quickly to catch the bat.

“I would say from the time it was radioed into the time that it was caught, it was maybe 3-4 minutes,” O’Connor said. 

The bat was found in the lower 500s and then traveled to the upper 500s. 

Science teacher Amanda Claussen first responded to the situation once she rose to close her classroom door and heard her colleague say, “It flew this way.” When she heard it was a bat, she went into the hallway to help.

“The main thing that was going through my mind,” Claussen said, “was that nobody gets bitten since bats are known to silently carry rabies, which has no cure.”

Claussen is rabies-vaccinated from her previous career as a vet tech, so she knew she could safely help capture the bat. Claussen grabbed some of the nets that some classes use for sampling ponds and gave some to science teacher Cory Couture, so they could each go up different hallways to search for the bat.  

“I remember walking down the lower 500s with Mr. Barnes,” O’Connor said, “and seeing simultaneously two science teachers step out of their classroom with legit bird-bad catching nets. Like legit National Geographic style.”

O’Connor said that the “bat flew down the right hallway” since it is filled with science teachers who are knowledgeable about these kinds of situations.

Couture said the science teachers’ initial concern was the possibility that the bat had rabies, so they worked together to make sure everyone “remained safe.”

“There were about three of us with nets in the upper 500s,” Couture said. “It was a nice commotion to change up and make a Friday interesting for sure.”

As the school custodian, Bailey also responded to the incident, working alongside the science teachers to remove the bat quickly and safely. 

O’Connor said that Bailey “captured the bat just like a lacrosse player” and that “we should just call Sam ‘Batman’ from now on.”

“The only thing going through my mind,” Bailey said, “was trying to figure out how to get the bat out of the school.” 

Freshman Abby Dela Cruz said she saw something fly by in the hallway.

“We all thought it was a bird at first,” she said, “and then Ms Hoffman told us it was a [bat]. Then all the students got up and went to the window to watch and see what was going on.” 

Students in the cafeteria also noticed some commotion in the hallway, so they moved to the doors to get a closer look at what was happening in the hallway. 

O’Connor said that “the teamwork” is an essential piece of what makes staff so dedicated to their job. 

O’Connor was concerned about the staff as they were dealing with the situation and wanted to make sure the faculty remained safe. He appreciates how the teachers worked as a team to make quick decisions.

“It also shows how well-prepared our school is to respond to things that are part of our normal everyday life,” O’Connor said. 

Couture was with two other teachers in the upper 500s when Bailey and admins came to the scene. 

O’Connor emphasized the fact that everything happened so suddenly. 

“Next thing I know, [science teacher Kerri] Whitehead is on the floor with a photocopy box, facilitating the transfer of the bat from the net to the box,” O’Connor said. 

Whitehead thought the science department worked well together and helped the situation flow quickly and calmly.

“I think [as] teachers, we have to remain calm,” Whitehead said. “We also really like each other, and I think that helps. We trust each other.”

After Whitehead was informed about the bat being in the buildings, she was able to watch the bat fly back and forth through the hallways. She said her most accomplished moment, though, was when she got to remove the bat from campus. 

“I have a lot of bird houses [in my classroom], so I put him in a bird house just so he would stay warm,” Whitehead said.

After Bailey captured the bat with one of the nets and it was safely taken outside, this ensured that students and staff would be safe from the situation. This prompted the admin to cancel the “clear hallways.”

“Honestly, I’m just the high school custodian who’s doing his job,” Bailey said. “I caught him with the net, but the science department had a big part in helping catch the bat.”

No one was injured in the incident, and O’Connor said he appreciates the staff’s readiness and support. 

“I think students need to understand that we’re all part of a big community,” O’Connor said. “We’re all looking out for each other, and that’s the biggest message.”