Orange High School classes to resume Wednesday after canceling two days for security

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio - Orange schools communication director Lou DeVincentis reports that Orange High School will resume classes Wednesday, but under tighter security.

School administrators canceled classes for a second day Tuesday because of an ongoing investigation into emailed bomb threats.

DeVincentis said the district is sending a letter to parents and students Tuesday afternoon, which will detail the new security measures.

He said there will be extra security personnel on campus, and all extra curricular activities are canceled until the situation is resolved.

Students will not be allowed to bring large bags or backpacks into the high school, and students will enter the school through only one entrance, instead of two.

In addition, students’ purses may be searched, but those searches would be requested on a case by case basis.

School officials said the letter will also ask for students’ help in identifying the person sending the threats, which apparently are being routed through multiple proxy servers, including one that came in through Sweden.

The FBI has been called in to work with Pepper Pike police in the investigation. School officials said it is possible the person sending the threats is local, but using the proxy servers to hide his/her identity.

The threats have been emailed to school district officials and a number of teachers via their school email accounts.

The emails reportedly refer to the explosive PETN, which is a colorless organic compound, related to nitroglycerin and known for its shattering force and efficiency. It has been in the news in the last few years, tied to multiple recent terrorist incidents,

School officials said the use of proxy servers adds an investigative challenge because it takes time for police to contact multiple server companies and request a hold on all messages related to the threats.

The Orange school district posted the letter to parents and students on the district website and Facebook, below is a portion of that letter.

Letter posted on website:
"The safety and security of our students is a priority. The recent bomb threat, a serious situation, is now affecting the High School students’ schedule and education. We are working with the Pepper Pike Police and the FBI so we can get back to the business of educating our students in a safe and productive learning environment. We know you are all concerned and we are confident that an arrest will be made in this situation. The person or persons involved will be punished to the full extent of the law, and they will have to bear the full cost of this investigation."