MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio — Swatting is now a felony in Ohio after House Bill 462 took effect on Monday.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill earlier this year. Under the law, anyone who reports false or misleading information to a law enforcement agency, emergency service provider or public safety answering point can be found guilty of a fourth-degree felony.
Violators could face prison and potentially thousands of dollars in restitution.
At least a dozen Tri-State schools have been impacted by swatting incidents this school year. An active shooter hoax sent Mount Healthy Junior/Senior High School into lockdown early last month.
“There were roughly 20 minutes where we had staff and students locked down that it was not a hoax,” said Dr. Charles Ogdan, assistant superintendent of human resources and operations at Mt. Healthy City Schools.
Ogdan said a number of employees texted family members messages to say goodbye.
“We still have staff and students that are still unpacking, that still dealing with the feelings that they had that day,” he said.
RELATED | Hoax forces lockdown at two Mt. Healthy schools
The district has brought in outside agencies and therapy dogs to help.
“The biggest thing is just letting our community, our students, our staff know that those supports are there,” he said.
The voice on the 911 call is similar to the one heard on several other fake threats made throughout the Tri-State.
“One of the things I think we all know is that the majority of these are coming from the same source,” said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. “I don't have hard evidence of that, but common sense tells us that in terms of what we've seen.”
WCPO asked Canady why these swatting incidents are happening.
“I have wondered, are they trying to test our systems?” Canady said. “Are they trying to see where there are gaps in our responses?”
Both Ogdan and Canady support the new law, and hope it has results.
As Mount Healthy continues to move forward, Ogdan has a message for those making fake threats.
“Stop and think,” said Ogdan. “The trauma that this causes for our students, our community and then our staff. It's just deplorable.”
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