CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Several Northeast Ohio school districts have deemed potential threats sent via email to be "not credible."
3News obtained a copy of the original email that claims to be from a Russian terror group. The message threatens to blow up schools due to the support the U.S. has given to Ukraine, and was sent to more than 70 recipients.
WKYC reached out to five school districts about the threat: Parma City Schools, Akron Public Schools, North Olmsted City Schools, Twinsburg City Schools, and West Geauga Schools.
Akron Public Schools told 3News that all staff and parents have been notified. FBI and Akron police are investigating. The district has deemed the threats "not credible."
North Olmsted City Schools told 3News that all schools will be open tomorrow (Monday), but there will be heightened security with extra police and regular sweeps on school properties as a precaution.
"On top of doing the security sweeps and having bomb dogs through the building, we just felt that extra security, extra police presence was important to again ensure the highest degree of safety that we possibly could," North Olmsted Superintendent Dave Brand told us Monday.
Brand added that the district experienced an increase in absences Monday, with about 30% of students not coming to school district wide.
"We respect the parents decisions to do that," Brand stressed.
Twinsburg City Schools sent email and text alerts to parents saying that police are aware and that buildings were searched for any potential suspicious items and nothing was found.
Parma City Schools released the following statement on their district's Facebook page:
"Dear Parents and Guardians,
"We are reaching out to address a concerning email that has been circulating among many Ohio school districts, including ours. This email claims to be from a Russian terrorist organization, threatening violence with explosive devices at schools. Similar messages were received by school districts across Texas on Friday and law enforcement authorities deemed them to be not credible.
"Please be assured that, upon receiving this message, we initiated and maintained close contact with local and federal law enforcement agencies to seek their guidance. Based on the similar language of emails being sent to hundreds of schools nationwide, the Ohio Homeland Security (OHS)/Terrorism Analysis Unit (TAU) and the Statewide Terrorism Analysis & Crime Center (STACC) assess these emails to be swatting and/or hoax emails and that the threat is not credible. However, we take all such threats extremely seriously, and as a precaution, our Safety and Security Team and local police inspected all of our schools this afternoon, finding nothing of concern. Accordingly, we will have school tomorrow and all functions will proceed as regularly scheduled.
"Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community. We are committed to keeping you informed and will provide any necessary updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we urge everyone to report any unusual or suspicious activity by calling or texting 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764). We understand that incidents like this can be distressing. Please know that our counselors are available to support any students who may need assistance or reassurance. Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring the safety of our school community."
Avon Lake City Schools Superintendent Joelle Magyar released the following statement:
"Dear Avon Lake Community,
"We are reaching out to address a concerning email that has been circulating among Ohio school districts, including the Avon Lake City School District. This email claims to be from a Russian terrorist organization, threatening violence with explosive devices at schools. Similar messages were received by school districts across Texas on Friday and deemed to be not credible.
"Please be assured that, upon receiving this message, we have been in close contact with local and federal law enforcement agencies to assess the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, in collaboration with the Avon Lake Police Department and Operations Director Dr. Ned Lauver, a sweep of our buildings was completed this evening to facilitate a safe start to school tomorrow. As each building was swept, each building was found alarmed, no security breaches were visible and all sweeps found no evidence of any tampering.
"Based on the similar language being sent to hundreds of schools nationwide, the Ohio Homeland Security (OHS)/Terrorism Analysis Unit (TAU) and the Statewide Terrorism Analysis & Crisis Center (STACC) assess these emails to be swatting and/or hoax emails and the threat is not credible. However, we take all such threats extremely seriously, and as a precaution, our School Resource Officers and local police will maintain a heightened presence in and around our school district. The State has also notified us that local law enforcement, the Ohio School Safety Center, the Department of Education and Workforce and the FBI have all been notified.
"Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community. We are committed to keeping you informed and will provide any necessary updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious activity by calling or texting 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764).
We understand that incidents like this can be distressing. Please know that our counselors are available to support any students in need of assistance."
The FBI released the following statement on Monday morning:
"The FBI is aware of the numerous hoax incidents wherein a bomb threat at a school is made. The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately."
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