Story updated at 4:30 p.m.
School will resume Tuesday, and Downtown Springfield has been reopened and declared safe after police investigated a series of emailed bomb threats against Haitian residents.
The Ohio Statehouse, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and several Columbus City School buildings also received emailed threats that were determined not to be credible. Neither the Columbus schools nor the Statehouse were evacuated.
The Cincinnati FBI office says it's aware of a number of what it called hoax threats in Central Ohio.
"The FBI addresses these threats with the utmost seriousness, as they put innocent lives at risk and are a federal crime," the FBI statement says. "While we have no information to indicate a credible threat, we are currently working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as soon as it comes to our attention.”
Springfield City Schools dismissed students Monday morning and people had been asked to avoid downtown due to "a report of a potential safety concern within the district." A child care center at Covenant Presbyterian Church was evacuated.
While the threats were still under investigation, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said they were being addressed with the highest level of caution.
“Today, our community has faced a familiar situation that understandably caused concern. I want to be clear, there is no immediate or credible threat to the public at this time ... Springfield is a strong and resilient community and public safety remains our top priority, and we will continue to share information as appropriate. By staying calm, informed and united we will navigate this situation together.”
In September 2024, Springfield and the school district endured several days of threats and shutdowns. That followed false comments during the election from now President Trump and Vice President JD Vance about the Haitian community.
Monday's threats came after the Springfield Haitian community has been in the spotlight again.
Temporary Protected Status for Haitians was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 3. But just before the expiration, a federal judge postponed the termination of TPS for Haitians while a lawsuit plays out. The Trump administration has appealed.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said bomb threats referencing Haitian immigrants were sent to several Clark County offices this morning, and there were also "suspicious packages" found outside the municipal court and the public safety building in downtown Springfield.
"This is a despicable act that’s caused kids to miss a whole day of school today," DeWine said.
Springfield City Schools will resume classes on Tuesday, Superintendent Bob Hill said, with dedicated safety teams sweeping all 17 district buildings before and after school each day.
“Our students, staff, and school community do not deserve to have their daily schedules disrupted by senseless threats of violence,” Hill said.
Editor Kaitlin Schroeder and WOSU Reporter George Shillcock contributed to this report.
