RELATED: ‘See something, say something’ working for Springboro schools in threat incidents
Over the past three months, Kirby has presided over 15 or more school threat cases.
On Wednesday, the Mason boys appeared in separate hearings where they admitted to charges before being sentenced.
One boy was accused of “circulating a warning of an impending crime, namely someone wanting to shoot students at the Mason Middle School, knowing the warning to be false” on April 8, according to charging documents.
RELATED: 13-year-old stole friend’s identity to make on-line school threat in Mason
The threat, posted on the district’s Schoology page, contained “a great deal of vulgarity” indicated the boy was “impersonating a classmate, and that there was no credible threat to school or student safety,” according to a message from the district.
The other boy admitted “murmuring” a threat to shoot his teacher after being reprimanded for listening to videos with headphones during class on April 12.
RELATED: 2nd Mason boy charged in school threat case
Both passed polygraphs, admitted to inducing panic and received suspended detention sentences.
Kirby was harder on the boy who used his friend’s computer identity to make the threat. The friend’s parents said he had been shaken by the experience.
“Unbelievable,” Kirby said. “It sounds to me like you’re a jerk.”
MORE: Threat prompts cancellation of last day of school at Middletown High
In the other case, lawyer Ed Perry said violent video games arm the children with words like Glock, the kind of gun his client said he would use on his teacher, although he admitted during the hearing he didn’t know much about that type of gun.
“I don’t think the children appreciate what they are talking about,” Perry said.
Kirby released the Springboro student accused in a May 15 incident. Kirby barred the boy from access to weapons or the internet or school, which ends on Thursday, except for a hearing on whether he should be expelled. He is to return to court on June 20.
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