Teacher in Custody After Bomb Threat

New York, NY —

A Bronx middle school teacher who barricaded himself inside a classroom this morning after initially claiming he had a bomb is now in police custody. The incident began at around 8:30 this morning, and students from the New Millenium Business Academy and two other middle schools that share the same building were evacuated and taken to other schools.

The United Federation of Teachers says the teacher's name is Francisco Garabitos and that he's a 30 year veteran of the school system and the union's chapter leader at the school. A union spokesman says Garabitos demanded to speak to UFT President Randi Weingarten, and when he was told that she was in Washington on business he asked to speak to the union's head of school safety. He said he had a bomb but then recanted his claim.

An NYPD hostage negotiator and a UFT district representative were able to talk him out of the building peacefully shortly after 11 a.m.

The union will hold a press conference at 3PM today to provide more information about the incident.