Ohio State Troopers To Boost Security At Springfield Schools

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he is sending Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers to be stationed at each of the Springfield school districts 18 buildings beginning tomorrow and continuing for the foreseeable future.

The move is in response to multiple schools in Springfield recently having to be evacuated following a series of bomb threats . The threats began after former President Donald Trump; his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio; and their allies started spreading the blatantly racist lie that the citys Haitian immigrants are eating peoples pets and posing a danger to other residents a baseless smear that Springfield officials warn is contributing to increased hostility against the town . The Republican governor did not mention Trump nor Vance in his announcement.

Many of these threats are coming in from overseas, made by those who want to fuel the current discord surrounding Springfield. We cannot let the bad guys win, DeWine said in a statement. We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe. The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.

About 36 troopers with the OHSPs Mobile Field Force will provide added security to the schools by sweeping each building for threats before students and staff arrive and staying on campus throughout the school day and during dismissal, according to the governor. None of the threats so far have been legitimate, DeWine said, but the increased security is purely as a precaution so schools are prepared.

In the wake of the threats and the newfound attention on Springfield, Haitian residents reported that they feel unsafe, some of them opting to keep their children home from school .

The false tales have also led to the evacuation of Springfields City Hall due to bomb threats and the cancellation of all events and remote classes at Wittenberg University due to a threatened shooting targeting Haitian immigrant students.

Regardless of the rise of threats, Vance on Friday encouraged his social media followers to continue discussing this slow-moving humanitarian crisis in a small Ohio town.

Moreover, Trump claimed the same day that he would aim to create mass deportations sending Haitian immigrants to Venezuela. (Trump has spread baseless lies about Venezuelan immigrants as well .)

We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio, large deportations. Were going to get these people out. Were bringing them back to Venezuela, Trump said .

The following day, Trump denied knowing about the threats.

I dont know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that its been taken over by illegal migrants, and thats a terrible thing that happened, Trump said Saturday.

In a CNN interview on Sunday, Vance admitted to creating a story of Haitian immigrants eating pets.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to, Dana, he told CNN s Dana Bash. Because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast.

Dana, it comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it, the senator said before baselessly claiming that Harris allowed 20,000 undocumented migrants into Springfield. (Most of the Haitian immigrants in Springfield are there legally .) But yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering created by Kamala Harris policies. Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has not been in a position to create policies.

JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu

philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"philip lewis","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_","cache_age":86400,"description":"JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio: If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"philip lewis on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1835311953767546887","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"66e8b5d1e4b06998fbeca2f5","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/ohio-governor-sends-state-troopers-to-boost-security-springfield-schools_n_66e8b5d1e4b06998fbeca2f5","entryTagsList":"immigration,springfield-ohio,school-security,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"us-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"politics","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.us-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/fb5e78cb-91c8-42a4-a230-427e5cb7eddb/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":16},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"66e8b5d1e4b06998fbeca2f5","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Immigration","slug":"immigration","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/immigration","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/immigration","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/immigration"},"relegenceSubjectId":980421,"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"topic":{"title":"Social Justice","slug":"social-justice","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/social-justice"},{"name":"Springfield, Ohio","slug":"springfield-ohio","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/springfield-ohio","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/springfield-ohio","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/springfield-ohio"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/springfield-ohio"},{"name":"School Security","slug":"school-security","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/school-security","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/school-security","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/school-security"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/school-security"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu
philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue called for peace when talking to Bash on CNN on Sunday , adding that politicians and those running for office should understand the weight of their words and how they could harm a community like ours.