BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Felicity Police Chief Ray Hesler stands outside Felicity-Franklin Elementary School Wednesday.
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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A rumor about violence at Felicity-Franklin schools caused upset parents to take about 400 students home Wednesday -- a reaction perhaps accentuated by five recent school shootings nationally.
The rumor -- that one or more students were bringing guns to school to settle a fight -- was determined to be unfounded Tuesday night after an investigation by Felicity police and Clermont County sheriff's deputies.
Still, by early Wednesday afternoon, Felicity-Franklin school officials estimated that about 90 percent of 475 absent students had stayed home or been taken home by parents fearful of the rumor. About 200 of the absent students were from the elementary school.
At one point Wednesday morning, about 35 parents gathered outside the elementary school end of the three-block school complex that houses Felicity-Franklin's 1,350 students.
The most recent school shooting in Oregon -- which left two students dead and 22 injured in a bullet-riddled cafeteria -- has increased parents' and school officials' anxiety.
"Administrators are primed for any threat of violence, but on the other hand, they don't want to overreact," said Ronald Stephens, director of the private National School Safety Center in Westlake Village, Calif. "People are asking us for advice, asking "Where do we draw the line?' "
In Felicity, despite assurance from police and school officials, many parents opted to take children out of class.
The absences will be excused, said Superintendent Roger Hornsby. "I understand parents' fear, but what are they going to do tomorrow and the next day?" Mr. Hornsby said. "There will come a point where we have to say, "They have to be in school.' "
Cindy Perkins, of Franklin Township, said Wednesday's events will make her worry until summer break begins next week. She kept her straight-A daughter, Krystal, home Wednesday from sixth grade. "I took her to school, but I didn't leave her," Mrs. Perkins said. "It's more scary since all this has happened."
Linda Sisson rushed to the school about 9:45 a.m. to get her second-grade son after a relative called her about the rumor. But she let him stay in class after talking to police.
"You don't want to jump to conclusions, but I didn't want to ignore it either," she said.
Calls have increased to the National School Safety Center, with school administrators seeking guidance on how to handle rumors or students voicing threats -- things that once might have been dismissed, Mr. Stephens said.
"The answer I give is that you can't put any cookie-cutter approach to this," he said. "There needs to be an evaluation of each one to determine if it is idle comments or serious threats."
Incidents involving students making threats have drawn stern reaction from school officials in the Tristate recently:
In Warren County's Little Miami schools, security has been tightened following the arrest and suspension earlier this month of two eighth-grade boys. The boys threatened to bring a gun to school, climb a tree and fire on students on the last day of the term.
"Teachers and students are more sensitive to remarks that before they would have glossed over," said Michael Virelli, Little Miami superintendent.
In Mason City Schools, administrators set up a hot line so people can alert school officials to threats of violence.
Summit Country Day Headmaster Ed Tyrrell confirmed Wednesday that an Upper School student had withdrawn from Summit after reports that he had threatened another student off-campus last winter. Mr. Tyrrell said school officials did not become aware of the incident, in which a gun was involved, until recently. He declined to give other details.
In Fairfield, an eighth-grade boy who made threatening remarks to an administrator last week was suspended, said Superintendent Charles Wiedenmann. The next day, the boy ran away from home.
In response, knowing the student was upset after being suspended, school officials locked school doors and assigned an off-duty custodian to monitor the halls with the boy's picture, Mr. Wiedenmann said. Police also patrolled the building, and a letter was sent home.
"How we handled that situation last week was different than how we would have handled it before Paducah," Mr. Wiedenmann said. "There are no more idle threats." Enquirer reporters Sue Kiesewetter and Lew Moores contributed to this report.
Tension at school:
"There are no more idle threats'
