Under siege, again: Haitians in Springfield liken being ‘singled out’ to trauma felt in Haiti 

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A series of bomb threats across Springfield last week sparked widespread fear, disrupting schools, churches and daily life, particularly for Haitian families, who many residents say were targeted in the attacks. The threats, which began Feb. 9, forced schools into lockdown, prompted early dismissals of students and shuttered businesses across the city. Anxious parents rushed to retrieve their children as officials worked to secure buildings and assess the situation, only to later determine that the threats were hoaxes.

By the evening of Feb. 10, a group of teachers, principals, pastors, local leaders and school officials convened for an emergency meeting to assess the impact. They reported then that between 10 and 20 Haitian students across nine schools were absent.

M.S., a mother of two elementary school students, was among the parents who kept her children at home. On Sunday, she recounted what happened during an interview at her home, where she awaited a food delivery from a local nonprofit.

When the school called and she repeatedly heard the word “bomb,” her heart began to race, she said in Haitian Creole. She and her family had left Port-au-Prince for what they believed would be safety and opportunity in the United States.

“Now my children are asking me if we are the reason people are angry,” M.S. said. “That is the hardest part, trying to explain fear that doesn’t make sense.”

The Haitian Times is using the initials of certain people interviewed for this story, such as M.S., because they may face additional threats for speaking publicly about their experiences.

The string of fake bomb threats –  which officials said referenced Haitians in town – deepened the already complicated reality for Haitian families across central Ohio in recent months: no confirmed danger, but very real fear. In the days that followed, the impact of the threats continued to reverberate — in classrooms, churches and the quiet streets of neighborhoods that once felt like home. Haitian families like S.J.’s, either too scared to venture out or unable to drive legally because their licenses expired with their immigration work authorization, rely heavily on volunteers to deliver groceries.

Left: A customer stands inside a Springfield shop as shelves remain stocked but foot traffic slows following a series of hoax bomb threats that rattled the city’s Haitian community. Right: A volunteer delivers groceries to a Haitian family in Springfield as local support organizations step in to meet rising food needs.
Photos by Wedly Cazy for The Haitian Times

For a community already strained by reports of immigration enforcement, xenophobic rhetoric during the 2024 presidential election and persistent misinformation, the spike in fear from the fake bomb threats lingered long after law enforcement declared there was no credible danger.

Community leaders say the incidents highlight broader concerns about targeted harassment, the spread of inflammatory narratives and the psychological toll on families, who now feel newly vulnerable in their own neighborhoods.

“These threats may have been fake, but the fear they created is very real,” said D.J.P., a local Haitian pastor. 

“When families are too afraid to send their children to school or leave their homes for groceries, that tells you something deeper is going on,” D.J.P. explained Sunday, while accepting a grocery delivery from volunteers with the Haitian Community Support Center. 

“Our community feels singled out, and that kind of targeting leaves more emotional scars on top of what they experience back in Haiti.”

State and broader community rattled

Gov. Mike DeWine said the threats were tied to rising tensions over Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. The federal administration’s attempt to end TPS was blocked in early February 2026, when District Judge Ana C. Reyes ruled that the Department of Homeland Security had failed to follow proper procedure amid escalating political debate. Some of the threatening messages reportedly contained xenophobic language, fueling suspicion that Haitian residents were the intended targets.

Administrators of the Springfield City School District, which operates 17 schools serving 7,500 students from preschool through grade 12, said anxiety rippled through classrooms. When school officials contacted families about the absences, parents shared a common concern: their children felt threatened and afraid and many did not want to return.

Officials emphasized that “numerous safety protocols” are now in place, including daily security sweeps of school buildings by local law enforcement before and after classes. District leaders also urged families to send their children back. By Friday, attendance had begun to recover.

A sixth grade teacher at Fulton Elementary School, who requested anonymity due to threats and online harassment, described the situation as “heartbreaking.” Her students were missing valuable instructional time, she said, but even more troubling was the emotional weight they carried. 

“It makes you overthink your every movement,” the sixth grade teacher said during the virtual meeting.

With Haitians increasingly referenced in political debates and online rhetoric, some students felt hypervisible and exposed. S.C, a 7th-to-12th grade math and science teacher in the Alternative Placement Program, said the situation shocked staff and non-Haitian students alike.

“I am 100 percent sure that the Haitian students were negatively impacted,” the math and science teacher said, given the number of absent students. 

Hunger for more assurance, safety 

For some families, reassurance has not fully erased the fear.

“It’s hard to feel safe when your children are being talked about like they don’t belong,” said J.D., whose daughter attends a district school. 

“We came here for stability and opportunity, but when you hear threats and see the way people speak about Haitians online, it makes you worry every day,” J.D. said. “Even with the extra security, the fear doesn’t just disappear.”

Some families have chosen to stay home altogether, fearful of attracting attention. Parents are keeping children indoors after school. Others are avoiding grocery stores and public spaces, asking friends to shop on their behalf.

“It’s like people have gone into hiding,” Brian Easley, a concerned African American resident, said at the Tuesday emergency meeting. 

Just as Springfield residents demanded stronger responses from state and federal officials following the threats, allies in Columbus are now calling for clear communication and leadership.

They are asking how Haitian families are expected to live under persistent fear — afraid to attend church, hesitant to gather publicly, keeping children home from school and limiting basic errands.

Columbus community advocates say silence from leadership has only deepened anxiety. Messages sent to Mayor Andrew J. Ginther’s office, Director of Public Safety Kate McSweeney-Pishotti and City Attorney Zach Klein seeking clarification on the city’s response and safety measures had not been returned as of Monday. 

“We need direct reassurance,” Jennah Smith, a supporter, said during a protest at Goodale Park on Feb. 7. “People need to know they are safe.”

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