Mom Jailed After False Bomb Threats to High School

A Detroit mother detonated a community-wide panic when she phoned in bomb threats to her daughter’s high school — all because the teen wasn’t allowed to appear in the school play.

Authorities say 42-year-old Crystal Royster unleashed pure chaos on March 12, turning a quiet school performance into a full-blown emergency evacuation. More than 700 children, parents, and staff scrambled out of Lake Shore High School as police swarmed the building, unsure if an explosive device was actually ticking inside.

Witnesses described it as surreal.

“It felt like a terror attack,” said a parent whose child was in the audience. “Everyone just ran. Nobody knew what was going on except that it was bad.”

The panic, prosecutors say, was sparked by Royster’s fury when she learned her daughter — who went home sick earlier that day — wouldn’t be allowed to appear in the opening-night production. School policy bars sick students from performing. Royster allegedly didn’t care.

Investigators say she made two anonymous calls threatening to blow up the building if the show went on.

“It was an over-the-top, dangerous response to a simple school rule,” said one law enforcement source. “She put hundreds in fear just to make a point.”

The school immediately halted the performance and blasted out emergency messages to terrified families. Police swept every hallway. Officers stood guard outside as panicked parents begged for updates.

“It was a nightmare for every parent who had a child in that building,” said another witness. “No school play is worth this.”

Royster pleaded guilty in November to reporting false bomb threats, a felony. On Jan. 8, she was sentenced to 14 days in jail and 18 months of probation by Judge Michael E. Servitto. Her charges carried a potential four-year prison term.

She must also complete a Class A impulse-control program, avoid contact with victims, and alert the school before stepping onto campus.

Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido didn’t hold back.

“This wasn’t a tantrum. This was a criminal act that triggered a massive emergency response,” Lucido said. “Our community was shaken. Parents were terrified. This kind of behavior cannot be excused.”

Neighbors say Royster was known for being an intense stage mom, but no one imagined she’d go this far.

“I’ve seen passionate parents,” one resident said. “But threatening to bomb a school? That’s a new level.”

Calls to Royster, the school district, and the prosecutor’s office were not returned.