Someone broke into Principal John Dwyer's office late Thursday night or Friday morning, and by Friday evening, the rumors were flowing.
Students heard that the culprit had rappelled down the side of the building, or lowered themselves inside Mission Impossible-style, to gain access. And parents were hearing that the burglars stole $50,000, or all the Senior Ball-Prom money collected through ticket sales. By Sunday, rumor had it the entire prom had been canceled.
The reality is someone kicked in the door, ransacked some drawers and got away with maybe $200 in petty cash. But that's it.
The May 19 prom is still very much happening, and students who paid $115 a pop are not out a ticket.
Principal John Dwyer put out a message on his Facebook page saying not to worry.
Yes, police were there taking fingerprints the next day, the way they would for any break-in, but there was no rappelled (also, Foothill is only one story), and no major theft.
"They didn't really get anything substantial," Dwyer said.
"We put the news out to teachers so they can pass it on. These kinds of things do happen every now and then but people should know that we always make sure money we have is put away — that money was never in jeopardy.
"It's looked after; we bank it and put it in safes."
He said there's no news yet on who did it, and the police investigation is active. If anyone has information, call the at 925-931-5100.
