Springfield, Ohio: 2 Schools Evacuated Over Bomb Threats Disparaging Haitian Migrants

Two Springfield, Ohio, elementary schools were evacuated Thursday after they were named in a bomb threat that included hateful language towards Haitian immigrants.

“My hometown of Springfield is becoming a third-world (expletive) because you allowed the federal government to dump these (expletive) here,” read the threat, which was emailed to multiple agencies and media outlets. “We have Haitians eating our animals and then you lie and claim this is not happening when we see this happening. I’m here to send a message, I placed a bomb in the following locations…”

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A spokesperson for Springfield City Schools said students at Fulton Elementary School were evacuated and taken to Springfield High School, WDTN reports. Springfield Academy of Excellence was also evacuated, and Clark State College announced its Brinkman building in downtown Springfield would be closed Thursday “out of an abundance of caution.”

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the bomb threat also forced the evacuation of city hall, the state motor vehicle agency’s local facility, and other buildings, Yahoo News reports. No bomb was found after the threat.

Presidential Debate Thrusts Springfield Into Spotlight

Springfield has received national attention in recent days after former President Donald Trump repeated unfounded rumors during Tuesday’s presidential debate about Haitian migrants eating peoples’ pets.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. This is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck released a statement saying there’s no evidence of any pets being harmed or eaten by its Haitian immigrants.

“Obviously, the negative response and threats are very sad and hard to handle,” Rue said. “We want to move forward together, and it just makes it more difficult to do that when we have violent actions and threats.”

Second Bomb Threat Made Against 3 Springfield Schools

On Friday, two more Springfield City schools were evacuated and one closed after another threat was emailed to local media outlets, according to WHIO. A district spokesperson said Perrin Woods and Snowhill Elementary students were evacuated to an alternate location Friday morning after receiving information from the Springfield Police Division.

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Roosevelt Middle School was also closed before the start of the school day. Some parents arriving with their students were turned away, according to reports. Clark Park High School, which is not part of the Springfield City School District, was also evacuated after it was named in the threat.

It is not yet clear if the threat is linked to Thursday’s threat or if it mentions Haitian migrants.

Springfield Officials: Haitian Migrant Population Straining Resources

Tensions have grown over the increasing Haitian population in Springfield as the volume and pace of the arrivals have put pressure on city housing, healthcare, and schools. Haitian immigrants have increased Springfield’s population by 25-30% over a three-year period, according to Rue.

“Rumors like this are taking away from the real issues such as issues involving our housing or school resources and our overwhelmed healthcare system,” he told the Springfield News-Sun.

The city was previously propelled into the national debate over immigration after 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed last year when a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant struck his school bus. On Tuesday, Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, mentioned Clark in a post on X that said “a child was murdered by a Haitian immigrant.” Later that day, Clark’s father, Nathan Clark, said Vance and others were exploiting his son’s death for political gain.

“My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti,” Clark said during a Springfield City Commission meeting. “This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state, and even the nation, but don’t spin this towards hate.”

Ohio Governor to Send More Resources to Springfield

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a press release Wednesday announcing the state would send healthcare and public safety support to Clark County, which houses Springfield. More specifically, DeWine said he would dedicate $2.5 million to expanding primary care access “for everyone living in Springfield.”

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“The federal government needs to assist these communities with funding because these dramatic migrant surges impact every citizen in the community — the moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on our streets, and the children who go to school in more crowded classrooms,” he wrote. “The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future.”

DeWine’s press release also outlined additional support the state is providing to address the increase in the Haitian population, including the creation of a school-based health clinic in the Springfield City School District to expand primary care access for school children and their parents.

DeWine said migrants are choosing Springfield because of its job opportunities, noting employers say they have “done a very, very good job, and they work very, very hard,” The Hill reports.