Children in a tiny Ohio city are living in fear as a result of the numerous bomb threats and intense media attention that have been directed towards them since President Donald Trump and other officials spread the untrue narrative that Haitian migrants were kidnapping and consuming pets, concerned parents stated on Thursday.
“They’re scared to go to school. They’re unsure of what’s going on,” John Michael Moore stated. “These kids are like sponges. They’re absorbing everything. We just wish it would stop.”
During a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump repeated destructive and unfounded remarks about Haitian migrants. Since then, dozens of bomb threats have been made in Springfield, especially at schools. The deception has also been disseminated by Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, and their allies.
Authorities have refuted the accusations, and in a statement, local police stated that there were “no credible reports” of Haitian immigrants causing harm to dogs.
That hasn’t stopped a flurry of threats from prompting closings and evacuations of schools.
“I really feel bad for the Haitian children, because they’re here for an education,” Moore stated. “They come from a country that’s in chaos, they just want a normal life.”
Parents reported that their children are terrified for themselves, their friends, and their community, despite the fact that all of the bomb threats have so far been shown to be false.
People in the town “are being stressed by the national attention that has been created and some of the security concerns that we’ve had,” according to Melanie Flax Wilt, head of the Clark County Commission.
In addition, educators and first responders now “have an added level of strain and stress in responding in an environment that has put them in somewhat of a feeling of danger,” she said, adding that the situation has made it difficult to deliver basic supplies to the community.
Furthermore, Flax Wilt reported that “in the last few days, we’ve seen our community come together in a very positive way and more of a positive approach to some of the rumors and the challenges circulating.”
In 2020, Romane Pierre, an immigrant from Haiti, relocated to Springfield from Florida. He currently runs the town’s Rose Goute Creole Restaurant and claims that he has been receiving sarcastic calls asking, “Do you have dog today or cat today?”
According to Sharice Otieno, she learned that there had been a bomb threat from another family last Friday while she and her kid were strolling to school.
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“I immediately had to tell my son he couldn’t go to school. He’s 6 years old. He didn’t really understand, like what’s a bomb threat? So I just explained to him that there are people, adults who are trying to hurt kids. He started to cry.”
Otieno claimed that in response to the threat, she called a friend who is Haitian and asked her to come get her child.
Otieno stated that the recent occurrences have made her “concerned for my baby as a parent.” I’m worried for my neighborhood as well as his classmates and teachers because of it.
