MONTGOMERY COUNTY — An email threat targeting multiple school districts in Montgomery and Preble counties, as well as others throughout Ohio is under investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to a press release from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, “The email threats were disseminated to a number of educational institutions. As of now, there is no evidence supporting the credibility of the threats and no imminent danger has been identified for any of the schools in our area.”
The press release further states that the situation is being treated with the utmost seriousness, and all necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
Northmont City Schools, Mad River Schools, Oakwood Schools, Sidney City Schools, and Vandalia-Butler City School District sent email messages to parents about the situation.
Eaton Community Schools Superintendent Jeff Parker shared a message with district families and staff regarding school safety after school districts across the state and country received threats via email last week.
“Late this afternoon, school districts across the state of Ohio received an email message threatening school buildings from an account claiming to be a Russian terrorist organization that claims they have planted explosive devices at multiple school buildings throughout the state of Ohio,” Parker’s message stated. “Eaton Community Schools was one of the school districts that received the email.”
Parker continued, “This past Friday, school districts in the state of Texas received a similar threat as did schools in California back in November.
“Law enforcement agencies are actively investigating these threats and Eaton has been in contact with local law enforcement. Local and federal law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor the situation. In conjunction with Eaton PD, ECS took steps to secure the building this evening, making sure that there were no suspicious objects present and that the building is safe for staff and students on Monday,” Parker wrote.
“While we have no reason to believe these threats are credible, safety is always our top priority. We will continue to work with law enforcement to monitor this situation. As we return to school on Monday, please remind your students that if they hear something or see something, to please make sure they say something!
“Finally, I want to thank Eaton PD for walking/checking all of the buildings with us and for the continued partnership,” Parker concluded.
According to Jenny Wood, information officer for Northmont City Schools, a search of all Northmont school facilities was conducted by Clayton, Englewood, and Union police departments to ensure no bombs had been planted.
Brookville and Northmont schools were open and in session Monday.
According to our media partners at 2NEWS WDTN, the threats are from an account claiming to be a Russian organization targeting American schools.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck stated, “The safety and security of our community’s educational institutions are of utmost importance. We are working closely with our federal and local partners to thoroughly investigate these email threats and ensure the safety of our schools.”
The sheriff’s office encourages parents, students, and school staff to stay informed through official channels, including updates from local law enforcement agencies and school authorities.
Community members are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or information related to these threats to their local police department.
Englewood Police posted on social media that it is continuing to monitor this investigation and is working with Northmont City Schools, the Miami Valley Career Technology Center and public safety partners to prioritize the safety of local schools, students, and staff.
Northmont City Schools put a statement on social media saying, “While we have no reason to believe these threats are credible, the safety of our children is always our top priority, and we will continue to work with law enforcement to monitor this situation.”
Brookville Police stated on social media, “We will continue to work closely with the Brookville Local School District as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to monitor this investigation. The safety of our students, staff, and visitors of the Brookville Local School District remain a top priority!”
At press time, there were no updates regarding the threat or who may be sending them. Other Preble County schools, including National Trail, Preble Shawnee and Northmont received the threat over the weekend, according to officials.
Reach Ron Nunnari by email: [email protected]. Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowejr.
