A juvenile is in custody after authorities investigated a threat of violence directed at New Richmond Middle School, according to the school district. Superintendent Paul Daniels said law enforcement notified him around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday about a threat involving a district building, and investigators later determined the middle school itself was the target.
Daniels said there is currently no threat to any of our students or staff members, according to a statement reported by cincinnati.com. The district worked with the New Richmond Police Department and the Clermont County Sheriff's Office as the investigation moved quickly from notification to an arrest. FOX19 reported that the superintendent announced the arrest in a message to families posted on the school district's Facebook page, and that police coordinated with the sheriff's office on the investigation and subsequent arrest.
How the Tip Reached Investigators
The district said it received tips through its Stay Safe, Speak Up reporting system, as well as by text and email, helping investigators zero in on the threat. FOX19 reported those additional tips came in over roughly two and a half hours before the arrest. No details about the nature of the alleged threat were provided, and the district has not identified the person taken into custody.
According to FOX19's reporting, the district held off on alerting the public until officers had completed their operation, so as not to interfere with police activity. The New Richmond Police Department also had to coordinate with the Clermont County Sheriff's Office throughout, per that outlet's account, and stayed in constant communication with the district as the situation developed.
What Happens Next for the Student
The district said it will apply its student code of conduct, which allows for discipline up to and including expulsion. Local law enforcement will determine whether the individual faces criminal consequences, Daniels said, and the district has not released specific charges.
This is not the first time New Richmond Middle School has faced a threat scare. In an earlier incident, the district investigated an alleged “hit list” and ultimately said the remarks were made in jest and no threat exists to students or staff, according to wlwt.com. In 2018, a New Richmond High School student was accused of posting a school-shooting threat on social media, as reported by wcpo.com.
A Broader Pattern of School Threats
A separate set of school threats was reported in Northeast Ohio in September 2024. In a separate case, a 12-year-old girl from Lorain and a 13-year-old girl from Garfield Heights were charged in connection with separate school threats, according to news5cleveland.com. That same report described several school threats made across Northeast Ohio on a Monday and Tuesday that prompted some districts to close for the day.
Retired FBI agent David Morgan told the station that baseless school threats typically number about 30 per week nationally, but said that over the preceding week that number far exceeded 30. The New Richmond case involved another school threat, even as the district emphasized that the immediate danger to students and staff had passed.
