PIKETON, Ohio — Pike County Career Technology Center opened Wednesday on a two-hour delay after law enforcement searched the building and found no threats, capping two straight days of what school officials described as fabricated threats against the school.
Superintendent Eric Meredith said in a statement posted to the CTC’s Facebook page that the building was “thoroughly searched” by law enforcement and cleared, with no issues or threats found inside or outside the school before students returned.
A threat reported Tuesday that named a specific student was determined to be unfounded, Meredith said. The student referenced in that report was not at the CTC, and additional information that circulated Wednesday tied to the threat was also fabricated, according to the statement.
Meredith said the CTC is among a number of Ohio schools that have recently received similar threats, and that law enforcement believes the threats are originating from servers located outside the United States. He said the matter remains under investigation and that the school would not release further details that could interfere with law enforcement’s work or potentially encourage copycat incidents.
The two-hour delay Wednesday gave staff time to complete additional safety and security procedures before students and staff arrived, Meredith said. Law enforcement provided extra monitoring of the school throughout the day.
Meredith thanked the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon Police Department for their response.
“Their quick response and commitment to the safety of our school community are greatly appreciated,” he said in the statement.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Pike County Career Technology Center.
