Senate candidate causes school lockdown

The candidacy of a Havre resident for the U.S. Senate seat took a new twist Friday when, apparently on his way out of town, William James Dean is alleged to have tried to pull his children out of school, leading the school to go under a lockdown.

A letter to parents of students at St. Jude Thaddeus School posted on the school's Facebook page Friday says the school went into a lockdown at 2:25 p.m. Friday and decided to dismiss early due to a custody issue, although at no time was the individual in question in the school.

Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich confirmed this morning that officers responded to a call from the school Friday and escorted William James Dean off the premises, telling him he needed to make an appointment with the school administration to see his children.

Matosich said the incident report with details was not available at that time. He had not called back with additional information by printing deadline this morning.

The administration of St. Jude Thaddeus School - which opened two hours late today due to the weekend winter storm - had not by printing deadline this morning returned a call asking for more information.

The incident comes with a court hearing pending on a charge of contempt of court Dean faces for allegedly not making child support payments.

Dean said Friday in an interview that he believes a minor relative of his was raped.

He said the reason he and Sarah Dean moved to Havre in August was to "figure out what was going on and search for answers" about concerns they had with where he children.

James Dean said that in October - he and Sarah Dean filed as Senate candidates on opposite sides of the ticket for the same seat with the Federal Election Commission Sept. 25 - his daughter said she had been raped.

Oct 27, he requested a temporary order of protection.

Holly Frederickson, acting justice of the peace in the case, denied the request, saying testimony by a Havre police officer who interviewed the girl "yielded no allegations against the (person accused)" and that testimony by two Child and Protective Services employees showed the minor children were in a safe situation in the household.

Dean appealed, and Nov. 2 state District Judge Daniel Boucher denied the appeal, writing that he reviewed the audio file and written record and found no reason to change Frederickson's ruling.

Dean said Friday that the incident is two years old - he said he and Sarah Dean first had the impression that something was wrong while the children were visiting him in California - and that the truth would come out in cross-examination.

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Alex Ross contributed to this story.