Schools superintendent calls threats against Worthington Kilbourne 'disgusting'

Homeland Security is investigating after threats against Worthington Kilbourne Black students and the school principal closed the school for a second day in a row.

Superintendent Trent Bowers said in a statement that the Thursday threat was specific toward Principal Aric Thomas, and a Thursday evening email threatened to shoot Black students. He added law enforcement cannot determine if it is a real threat or a hoax.

"Sadly, last night we received another threat including a reference to shooting our African American students," Bowers said Friday.

Columbus police said Friday that the school had received the same threat from the previous day. Detectives with the Department of Homeland Security are handling the investigation of both incidents.

Early Friday morning, the district said they announced internally and then on social media that the high school would be closed again due to a "specific threat" to the school.

Board holds emergency meeting, hopes to return to school Monday

The Worthington Board of Education held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the district administrative center at 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road to discuss the security threat in executive session, meaning the discussion was not public.

After the meeting, Bowers spoke to media, calling the threats received Thursday "disgusting."

"None of our students of any color should have to deal with threats specific to them," said Bowers. "So it's really important that we reach out to our community, reach out to our African American community and make sure that we're doing everything we can to help them feel comfortable."

Bowers noted Worthington Kilbourne High School has been swept and has "increased presence" on the property.

Bowers said the board's "best hope" that school will be open on Monday, but with threats received "two days in a row," the school is working with law enforcement on a course of action if the threats persist.

"The hope (was) that if we were close today, it gave them also the weekend to hopefully apprehend somebody who's making these threats. That seemed to make sense," he said. "If we get another threat on Monday, we have a different decision we have to make."

Bowers could not provide more information on the investigation, or if the threats were legitimate.

"We absolutely are asking for increased police presence (next week) and we're hoping that Columbus police can provide that for us," he said.

Shooting, bomb threats close school initially Thursday

School administration discovered Thursday that a threat had been emailed overnight that contained both a bomb threat and a threat of a school shooting, according to an email sent from Bowers to parents on Thursday.

"We could not, in good conscience, allow the school to remain open without working with local law enforcement," Bowers said Thursday.

On Friday, Bowers said the emails had been routed through Germany, but investigators do not know their origin.

Although the high school is part of Worthington City School District, it is physically located in Columbus and falls under Columbus police jurisdiction. Worthington police are also now involved, according to Bowers.

Worthington football team scheduled in Delaware on Friday, next week uncertain

Kilbourne’s football team played at Delaware Hayes at 7 p.m. Friday. Additional staff was on hand at Kilbourne as students arrive to board buses for Delaware, athletic director Jeff Todd said.

Parents and guardians of players, cheerleaders and marching band members had been given the option to drive their children to Delaware, and those students also had been given permission to skip the game, Todd said.

About three hours before kickoff, Todd said he hadn’t heard of anyone asking to be excused.

Police didn't accompany the buses from Kilbourne to Delaware, Todd said. Hayes High School and police in Delaware handled security arrangements at the game, he said.

Kilbourne’s other teams were given permission to hold practices at the school, but some decided to move to different locations, Todd said. No Kilbourne teams were scheduled to compete at the school Friday.

Worthington faith leaders: 'We stand in support with the African American students.'

In a joint statement by local religious leaders including Rabbi Rick Kellner of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Worthington, the Rev. Tim Ahrens of First Congregational Church in Columbus and Pastor Tom Rice of Worthington Presbyterian Church, they said they were concerned as parents of Kilbourne students, graduates and Worthington residents.

"We stand in support of the African American students in our schools and teachers and staff and all minorities. Hate has no home here," their statement read. "Our prayers and the prayers of our faith communities are with all involved as we protect all of our children, teachers, staff and administrators. "

Dispatch reporter Andy Resnik contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Worthington Kilbourne closed again Friday because of threat