NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — New Richmond Exempted Village Schools held classes on a normal schedule Friday after district and police officials determined that a threat rumor circulating in a student group chat the night before was unfounded, Superintendent Paul Daniels said in a statement to families.
District officials said they learned around 7 p.m. Thursday of a possible threat referenced in a private group chat involving more than 40 students. Daniels and Dr. Kunz began investigating immediately, compiling names and details and sharing them directly with law enforcement, according to the statement, even as screenshots and secondhand accounts of the chat spread across social media.
Over the next three and a half hours, district officials continued providing police with student information, and officers fielded calls and conducted in-depth interviews as part of the investigation, the statement said.
Police told the district there was no credible threat and no active plan, according to the statement. Investigators determined the chat stemmed from an overheard conversation referencing previously known events that had already been investigated and found unfounded, which then spread through the group chat, the statement said.
New Richmond schools operated on their normal schedule Friday, Nov. 6, with an elevated police presence at district buildings, according to the statement. Daniels said parents could choose to keep their children home but noted that, under Ohio Revised Code 3321.191, such absences would count toward the state’s definition of chronic absenteeism regardless of whether they are excused.
Daniels urged parents to monitor their children’s phones and group chats and to talk with them about the permanence of digital actions. The district said counselors and other mental health professionals are available in all of its buildings, and pointed families to the 988 crisis text line for additional support.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the New Richmond Exempted Village School District.