Princeton, Sycamore and other districts got hoax threats from 'Russian terrorist' group

Editor's note: The Oak Hills Local School District did not receive a threat as an earlier version of this story stated.

At least two local school districts were among a string of Ohio and Texas schools that received supposed threats over the weekend.

Many of the threats came from a group claiming to be a Russian terrorist organization, according to district officials.

Princeton and Sycamore school districts communicated with families about the threats.

In an email sent out to students' families Sunday night, Princeton City Schools Superintendent G. Elgin Card said the threat, first received by one of the district's elementary school administrators, was not credible.

The time the alleged event was supposed to happen had already come and gone Friday night, Card wrote. He also said the FBI is aware of the threat that came via email and said they were "clearly hoax threats."

In-depth: Hoax or reality? Why local bomb threats should be taken seriously

A separate threat on Monday prompted a brief lockdown at Princeton High School. School officials said that threat was also determined not to be credible.

Though it did not receive a direct threat, Oak Hills Superintendent Jeff Brandt said police conducted walk-throughs of their buildings and nothing was found. Card said the district would have increased security at buildings on Monday.

"This is not because the threats have any credibility," Card said, "but because we know any threat can cause anxiety and concern."

A message from Sycamore Community Schools said the district experienced a swatting incident and Blue Ash and Montgomery police conducted a search of the school buildings. "The JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) also verified that there was no credibility to the threat," the message states.

More: What to do during a bomb threat – hoax or not

An email sent by Akron Public School officials said the threat was made against "American school buildings." A combination of local law enforcement agencies and the FBI investigated the threat and found it to be unsubstantiated.

Six school districts in northeast Ohio received the threat, according to one news report. The report quoted a news release from the FBI in Cleveland that the agency found the threats to not be credible.

A total of 10 school districts were emailed threats on Friday from those claiming to be Russian terrorists, with seven of the districts being in Texas, according to a report from the central Texas TV station KCEN.

Last year, Princeton was targeted in another nationwide string of hoaxes. A person called police saying there was an active shooter at Princeton High School prompting hundreds of police and other first responders to rush to the school.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: School threats in Ohio, Texas: 'Russian' terrorist threat is a hoax