Over the last two weeks Bellefontaine City Schools have received three threats of violence from students during the school day as well as several threats on social media.
All of the in-school threats — one at the middle school and two at the high school — were investigated and found NOT to be credible, Superintendent Brad Hall said.
Below is a statement from Superintendent Hall released Friday afternoon.
Hall said the students involved will receive “appropriate discipline,” but he did not want to elaborate on specific punishments as doing so might unintentionally identify the students involved.
The superintendent said there has been an extra police presence at the district’s school buildings in response to the threats.
Hall said notifications were sent to parents of students in the specific buildings involved in the threats rather than districtwide to avoid unnecessary panic of parents and buildings not involved in the incidents.
He also commented on notifying parents via Final Forms emails, saying the district’s research indicates that sending out the notifications around 2:30 to 3 p.m. is the best time to effectively reach the most people.
Dear Bellefontaine City School District Families,
Since school began on September 4, the district has experienced several social media threats as well as a few threats of violence made by students during the school day. Those threats are being made by an extremely low percentage of our students and do not represent the values of our community or parents and students who want to create the very best educational environment for learning.
Given the recent threats, I want to remind you of our commitment to the safety of our students and staff. We take safety seriously and want to assure you that our district, in partnership with local law enforcement, has zero-tolerance for any form of threat or intimidation.
This morning, I communicated with Bellefontaine Police Chief, Chris Marlow and Logan
County Prosecuting Attorney, Eric Stewart, regarding this issue. Following those conversations, I can assure you that students who make threats will face consequences in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and will be subject to legal action.
The safety of our students is our highest priority. It is, however, very important that all of us react to facts, outcomes of investigations and advice from our law enforcement partners, and avoid being consumed by social media posts. When school is open, please know that the district has taken the necessary measures to ensure it is safe for students and staff.
Thank you for your cooperation, support, and understanding.
Brad Hall
Superintendent
Bellefontaine City School District