San Diego School Police Offer $1,000 for Leads on High‑School Glue Incident

Late Thursday afternoon, the usually bustling corridors of Lincoln High School in San Diego turned sticky—literally. Someone, or some group, had sprayed a massive amount of industrial‑strength glue across the main hallway, leaving students slipping, shoes stuck, and teachers scrambling for paper towels.

It wasn’t a prank you could just wipe away with a damp cloth. The glue set fast, coating lockers, desks, and even a fire‑exit sign. By the time custodial staff arrived, the mess had already attracted a small crowd of curious onlookers and, unfortunately, a few annoyed parents who had come to pick up their kids.

School police officer Maria Alvarez, who’s been on the force for nearly a decade, says the incident appears to be a deliberate act of vandalism. “We’ve never seen anything like this at a school before,” she remarked, shaking her head. “It’s messy, it’s dangerous, and it’s downright disrespectful to the students and staff.”

In an effort to bring the perpetrator—or perpetrators—to justice, the San Diego Unified School District’s police department announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The offer, posted on social media and on the district’s website, reads: “If you have any details, no matter how small, please contact us. Your tip could help restore safety and normalcy for our students.”

Community reaction has been a mix of frustration and curiosity. “I walked past the hallway and literally felt my shoe stick to the floor,” said junior Ethan Ramirez. “It was weird, but also kind of creepy. I hope whoever did it gets caught.” Parents, meanwhile, are calling for tighter security measures. “We trust the school to keep our kids safe,” said Laura Chen, mother of a sophomore. “This could have been an accident that turned into a serious injury.”

Officials have not yet released any surveillance footage, but they confirmed cameras were operational in the area. “We’re reviewing the video as quickly as possible,” Alvarez added. “If you saw anything—someone lingering near the hallway, a suspicious bag, anything—it could be crucial.”

In the meantime, the school has taken steps to remediate the damage. Maintenance crews are using specialized solvents to dissolve the glue, a process expected to take several days. Classes have been relocated to temporary spaces, and the district has promised to keep parents updated on the cleanup timeline.

While the glue episode may seem like a bizarre footnote in the daily grind of education, it underscores a larger conversation about school safety and student responsibility. The district plans to hold a town hall next week to discuss preventive measures, ranging from increased surveillance to community‑building programs aimed at reducing vandalism.

If you happened to be near Lincoln High on Thursday, or if you saw something odd on your way home, the San Diego School Police encourage you to call the tip line at (619) 555‑0199 or submit an anonymous tip online. Remember, that $1,000 reward is still on the table—no detail is too small.