Police make arrest in Southview High School bomb threat

Southview High School in 2012.

A 17-year-old student has been arrested for making a bomb threat last week at Southview High School and the Sylvania Schools superintendent on Sunday issued "a strong message of warning" regarding the district's zero tolerance policy for threats to school safety.

The threat was made known on Thursday and the police arrested the student, who was not named on Friday afternoon. The student wanted the day off from school on Friday, according to Superintendent Adam Fineske's statement on the district's Facebook page on Sunday. 

Police responded to the threat Thursday night, clearing the school about 1:30 a.m. Friday morning. School started on-time on Friday, although there was additional police presence at both Southview and Northview high schools in the district.

The student was charged with inducing panic, a fifth degree felony, the superintendent said. The student was booked into the Lucas County Juvenile Detention Center.

“We are asking that you talk with your children this evening and help us reinforce the consequences that could take place if they decide to partake in anything like last week’s incident,” Mr. Fineske said in the statement. “Even spreading untrue rumors or gossip on social media can lead to strong disciplinary consequences.”

Last week, a student enrolled at Sylvania Virtual Academy was arrested after police and school officials said the juvenile made threats on social media regarding Southview High School. Additionally, a Monroe Middle School student was arrested Wednesday after threatening to blow up the school with a decommissioned hand grenade, and a Toledo man accused of posting a threat on social media to "shoot up" Waite High School was indicted Tuesday by a Lucas County grand jury.