Tecumseh district says Instagram threat led to student arrest; officials highlight safety partnerships and mental‑health supports

At a Sept. 30 special joint meeting, Tecumseh Local Board of Education officials said an Instagram post that resembled other copycat threats prompted school staff and deputies to notify state and federal partners, leading to the arrest of a student on a charge of terroristic threats, district representative Brian Dixon said.

Dixon told the board the district and Sheriff’s deputies contacted the Ohio School Safety Center and worked with the State Highway Patrol, FBI field offices in Cincinnati and Cleveland, the STACC (Statewide Terror Analyst and Criminal Center), the National Threat Operations Center and an Exigent Threat Research and Analysis team during the investigation. "As a result of the See Something - Say Something initiative we have at Tecumseh, many individuals reached out to share this information about the post," Dixon said.

The announcement came amid broader safety and student‑support updates. Deputy Loney reported that deputies were posted at Wittenberg University and Clark State College over the weekend amid preparations for a protest that did not occur, and that the sheriff’s office recently hired three deputies.

Deputy Dillon described the revival of SADD (formerly Students Against Drunk Drivers, now Students Against Destructive Decisions) at Tecumseh High School, saying membership grew from about 15–20 students to more than 35 and that students ran a demonstration using pedal cars and "drunk goggles" to show the difficulty of impaired driving. A mock‑crash demonstration is planned for spring before prom, he said.

Paula Crew summarized the district’s Mental Health Committee — which includes counselors, nurses, school resource officers and five to six outside agencies such as Clark County Mental Health and Wellspring — and reported academic and attendance metrics. "We earned 3.5 stars out of five," Crew said of the State Report Card. She said the district improved its attendance rating from zero to five stars after systems were implemented that reduced absence rates by about 10 percent.

Crew also described two levies on the November ballot: a renewal of the Permanent Improvement Levy, which the district says pays for roofs, asphalt and buses, and a transition from current renewal levies to a substitute levy the district says will not increase taxes for current residents but will apply to newly built homes and new businesses. Crew noted the district has not passed new operating levies since 1995 and has made many spending cuts since then.

The board did not take formal action on the levies during the meeting; the district urged voters to review ballot information ahead of November.

The board adjourned at 7:26 p.m.