Mike DeWine is deploying the Ohio State Highway Patrol to monitor schools in the city of Springfield after they received 33 bomb threats since late last week, he said at a news conference Monday.
Two colleges were moved to virtual learning and two elementary schools were evacuated Monday after receiving separate threats.
The threats so far haven’t had “any validity at all,” DeWine said in a news conference Monday afternoon.
The threats and closures come amid ongoing fallout from baseless allegations former President Donald Trump made during the second presidential debate that Haitian immigrants in the city are stealing and eating local pets.
Students at Simon Kenton and Kenwood Elementary Schools were evacuated “to an alternate district location” Monday based on information district officials received from the city’s police, the Springfield City School District said in a release.
“These are the fifth and sixth SCSD buildings to be targeted by recent threats within the last week,” the district said.
DeWine said 36 troopers from the state patrol’s mobile field force will be present at all 17 school buildings in the Springfield City School District starting Tuesday.
The university has received five separate threats since Saturday, and most have been resolved, school president Michael Frandsen told CNN Monday.
It says Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply to have their family members from Haiti come to the United States.
He also bristled at the idea that repeating the baseless claims has led to a spike in threats in the city.
Ohio Gov. At a press conference on Monday, Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio State Highway Patrol would be monitoring Springfield’s schools in response to 33 bomb threats that have been made since late last week.
On Monday, two elementary schools were evacuated and two colleges were switched to virtual learning due to individual threats. In a Monday afternoon press conference, DeWine stated that the threats haven’t had “any validity at all” up to this point.
The threats and closures coincide with the ongoing fallout from the irrational claims made by former US President Donald Trump in the second presidential debate that local pets are being stolen and eaten by Haitian immigrants living in the city.
According to information district officials got from the city’s police, students at Simon Kenton and Kenwood Elementary Schools were evacuated “to an alternate district location” on Monday, the Springfield City School District said in a release.
According to the district, “these are the fifth and sixth SCSD buildings to be targeted by recent threats within the last week.”.
DeWine stated that beginning on Tuesday, all 17 Springfield City School District buildings will have 36 troopers from the state patrol’s mobile field force on duty. According to him, the troopers will patrol every school building before classes begin and will stay on campus to provide security both during the school day and after dismissal.
Regarding those posing threats, DeWine stated, “Unfortunately, we have people overseas who are taking these actions.”. A certain nation is the source of some of them. We believe they are using this as another chance to play shady deals with the United States, and they will keep doing so. So, we can’t allow the opposition to prevail. “.
DeWine declined to name the specific country he said some of the threats were coming from, but said the FBI is assisting local law enforcement. A representative for DeWine’s office responded, “The governor does not want to provide encouragement to the bad actors who have engaged in these numerous threats,” when asked why the governor refused to reveal the nation. “.
While campus police and local law enforcement investigated emails containing threats of a bombing and a campus shooting that were directed towards “members of the Haitian community,” Wittenberg University’s classes were conducted virtually on Monday, according to a statement from the university. According to school president Michael Frandsen, who spoke with CNN on Monday, the university has received five distinct threats since Saturday, the majority of which have been addressed. He stated that there is a greater presence of law enforcement officers on campus.
Adjacent Clark State College also declared via email that it would be closing this week and that classes would be conducted virtually following similar threats. Both school administrators stated that they were implementing the measures “out of an abundance of caution.”. “.
Clark State released a statement in which it stated, “We understand the anxiety that such incidents can cause and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and care.”. “The security and well-being of our community, staff, and students will always come first. We value your patience during this trying period. “.
In light of recent threats and safety concerns, Springfield also declared on Monday that it will postpone its yearly arts and cultural festival, which was set to take place on September 27 and 28.
The mayor of the city, Rob Rue, said to CNN’s Dana Bash that threats have been made directly to him and other officials. He also said that “it would be helpful” if politicians “understood the weight of their words and how they could harm a community like ours.”. “.
The paramilitary group known as the Proud Boys, who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, were reportedly seen marching through Springfield on Saturday, according to two 911 calls that Springfield police confirmed to CNN.
“We got a few reports about their presence in town, but when the police showed up at South Burnett and Lexington, they were gone,” Sgt. Mercado Geovanny told CNN.
Following threats, two area hospitals closed on Thursday. The next day, two neighborhood elementary schools were evacuated “in accordance with information obtained from the Springfield Police Division.”. “.
DeWine categorically refuted the untrue rumors regarding the city’s Haitian immigrants in a Monday interview with CNN, stating that business executives believe Haitians are “really essential to them getting the job done.”. “.
The governor declared, “These Haitians who are there are legal and they work very, very hard.”.
Springfield serves as the county seat of Clark County, home to between 12,000 and 15,000 immigrants, according to information provided by the city on its website. According to it, Haitian immigrants are present lawfully because of a parole program that enables citizens and legal permanent residents to petition for the immigration of their relatives from Haiti.
Last week, representatives of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office refuted reports that Haitians were poaching geese from nearby parks. They said that after going through 11 months’ worth of 911 calls, they found two instances where people had reported similar incidents, but they could not find any proof to support the allegations.
One of the first people to spread false information about Haitians was JD Vance, the vice presidential candidate. In an interview Sunday on “State of the Union,” CNN’s Dana Bash pressed the Ohio Republican for proof of the claims, to which he responded with a number of “firsthand” accounts he claimed he had received from his constituents. However, the senator offered no additional evidence.
He also took offense at the notion that the city has seen an increase in threats as a result of the unfounded accusations being repeated. Nothing I’ve said has prompted threats against these hospitals. We detest the violence because it is repulsive,” Vance declared.
“All I’ve done is bring attention to the grievances of my constituents—people who are negatively impacted by Kamala Harris’ policies. Because some psychopaths are threatening violence, is it forbidden for us to discuss these issues? he continued.
Vance went on to say, “I’ll tell stories if I have to in order for the American media to truly cover the suffering of the American people. “.
In response to Bash’s questioning about whether he was acknowledging that the narrative was made up, Vance restated the assertions made by his constituents.
“It wasn’t because of Kamala Harris’s policies that 20,000 illegal immigrants entered Springfield. Her policies caused that, he claimed. “Yeah, but we did set the real agenda so that the American media could discuss this story and the pain that Kamala Harris’s policies were causing. “.
The mayor, Rue, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday that the migration of Haitians has contributed to the city’s 25% population growth over the last three years.
In response to allegations that immigrants are mistreating local pets and animals, Rue said he is collaborating with law enforcement in the area to combat an increase in careless driving and requested additional funding from the governor for the next two years to enhance the language services provided by the local healthcare system.
It’s strange that I even have to tell the national media that your pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio, but that is a fact, Rue stated. “I just want to clearly say, as a pet lover, that your pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio.”.
This report was contributed to by CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Chris Boyette, Kit Maher, and Taylor Romine.