MANSFIELD, Ohio — A threat written on a middle school restroom wall forced the evacuation of Mansfield Middle School and Mansfield Senior High Tuesday afternoon.
According to Larry Gibbs, communications officer for Mansfield City Schools, students were evacuated on foot to Arlin Field. Parents with IDs were able to pick up students at Arlin Field. Students not picked were to be bused home at the regular dismissal time.
According to Spanish teacher Diane Barrios, she received an email with instructions to evacuate Mansfield Senior High and Mansfield Middle School during sixth period, which occurs between 1 p.m. and 1:50 p.m.
Mansfield Police Department Chief of Police Ken Coontz said a message was written in the boy’s restroom.
“It was basically indicating that they were going to blow up the building,” said Coontz.
John Sherman Elementary School was evacuated earlier Tuesday morning. Coontz said the two incidents seem to be unrelated at this time. Initial investigations of the incident at the high school have led MPD to believe the incident was a hoax.
“At other locations throughout Ohio, there were some threats. So it’s not just isolated to here,” said Coontz. “Although I can promise you this, for those making hoaxes like this, it causes a lot of complication. But as funny as it may be to someone who would make that kind of threat, the punishment is going to be real.”
Barrios said the students were evacuated on foot to Arlin Field on West Fourth Street, next to the district’s bus garages.
The district grouped the students based on if they were bus-riders, walkers or drivers — then placed them in the bleachers at Arlin. The students awaited there until their parents and/or guardians picked them up at the field’s pass gate.
The threat remains under investigation by the MPD in conjunction with the school’s administration, according to Gibbs.
