Multiple school districts receive false school threats this week

Multiple area districts have addressed rumors of school threats following shooting at Georgia high school

Credit: Sophia_Nicholas / Pixabay.com

Credit: Sophia_Nicholas / Pixabay.com

Multiple school districts in the region received false threats this week of alleged violence, gun or bomb threats.

It has caused school districts and police departments to spend many hours investigating each threat and both have warned that students or people who make the false claims can be charged and prosecuted if enough information is gathered.

Troy City Schools reported no credible threats were made to the district after reports of online rumors circulated Friday morning.

“We have spoken with the Troy Police Department, who received calls and investigated the situation, and we have been assured there have been no specific or credible threats related to the Troy City Schools,” the district posted on Facebook. “Keeping students safe is our top priority. We will continue to work closely with the Troy Police Department as they continue to monitor this situation.”

Troy City Schools thanked the police department for their assistance and help keeping students safe.

Springfield City School District closed a middle school and evacuated two elementary schools Friday morning after receiving information from Springfield police. Perrin Woods and Snowhill Elementary students were evacuated to a different location and Roosevelt Middle School canceled classes before the start of the school day.

It is not clear what information the district received from police.

This came a day after multiple city, county and school buildings were closed in the Springfield area following a bomb threat. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue declined to comment on the exact language of the threat, but said it mentioned frustration with the city related to Haitian immigrants.

In the days following a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia that killed four people, multiple school districts in Ohio have received threats or been contacted regarding rumors of threats.

On Wednesday, a Wayne High School student was removed from the school after social media posts circulated online that a student mentioned a gun at the start of the school day, according to Huber Heights police.

The student was determined not to be a threat.

“The student was removed from the building and will be handled administratively by the school and criminal charges will be sent to juvenile court for consideration,” read a police statement. “Extra officers were present in the school during this time and will be for the remainder of the day as well for the peace of mind of staff and students.”

Monroe Local School District was closed Wednesday after receiving a “safety concern” Tuesday night.

No credible threat was identified, but school was canceled out of an abundance of caution, according to the district. An investigation determined the allegations were fabricated.

“The district is asking parents to have discussions with their students about the gravity of making false threats and the consequences of doing so,” the school system said.

After school Wednesday, Kettering Middle School and Kettering police learned of rumors of a threat circulating online involving the school.

“After numerous interviews with students and families, we can confirm that this story was fabricated and there was never a threat to any Kettering students.” read a statement from Kettering Middle School Principal Brian Snyder. “The rumors stemmed from conversations regarding recent social media posts about other school districts in Ohio that have already been reported and addressed by their local law enforcement.”

Snyder added that while there were no threats made to the school, some students may need additional support.

“Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s unit office,” he said.

Multiple schools in the Cincinnati area increased security and one district canceled classes due to a threat of a school shooting on Thursday, according to WCPO.

Mt. Healthy City Schools were closed, with Cincinnati Public Schools, Lakota West, Northwest Local, Princeton, Sycamore and Winton Woods school districts adding security.

Staff writer Rick McCrabb contributed to this report.

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