News Summary

FRANKLIN — One student was arrested, two more were suspended and hundreds left school early Wednesday amid threats and rumors of violence at schools following the Virginia Tech tragedy that left 33 dead, including the gunman.

A Warren County Career Center student was arrested Wednesday for inducing panic after officials discovered a threatening message written on a bathroom wall Tuesday afternoon, according to a news release.

Classes at the Warren County Career Center in Lebanon went on as scheduled, but the career center increased security for the day. Officials worked with Clearcreek Twp. police and the Warren County Sheriff's Office to identify the student, whose name was not released, nor was what the student had written that led to the arrest.

Officials could not be reached for further comment.

Two Franklin High School students were suspended and more than 200 students left classes early on Wednesday after rumors spread through the school there was going to be "trouble" during lunch.

A male student was overheard Tuesday discussing the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech with a classmate and making similar "threats against himself and his friends," according to Franklin police and Principal Dave Gregory.

Faculty members talked to the student and thought they had resolved the incident Tuesday, but before school ended a friend of the boy began spreading a rumor there was going to be "trouble" Wednesday during lunch, Gregory said.

Administrators were not aware of the second threat until Wednesday morning, when more rumors began circulating among students, he said.

"If we had known about it we would have dealt with it (Tuesday)," he said.

Both students, a senior and a junior, were interviewed by administrators Wednesday and each were suspended for seven days, Gregory said.

"When you say things like that in today's society it's inducing a panic," he said. "Our kids are usually very good about reporting this stuff."

The students are not facing expulsion or criminal charges because the threats were "unfounded," Gregory said.

Rumor or not, parent Leslie Guido said she was angry school administrators didn't contact parents about the incident.

"They did not take the situation seriously," Guido said. "You think with everything that happened with (Virginia Tech) they would have notified parents. We should be able to decide if it's safe to send our children to school."

Parents were allowed to sign their children out of class Wednesday, but a notice was not sent out to students or parents about the threats, Superintendent Douglas Lantz said.

Lantz and Gregory discussed the threats with Terry Smith, the school resource officer, and believed they were "unfounded" so school was not canceled.

"We didn't feel there was grounds to do so," Gregory said. "If we call off school whenever someone shoots their mouth off, we wouldn't be in school one day of the year."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2845 or cmagan@coxohio.com.