Springfielders showed support for Haitians on Sunday, filling restaurants and churches amid a fourth day of threats related to the immigrant community.
Wittenberg University canceled events on Sunday and moved classes online. Clark State College also switch to remote classes this week.
"Wittenberg University is currently taking precautions following a Saturday email threatening a potential shooting on-campus today, Sunday, Sept. 15, followed by an email today containing a bomb threat, the latter of which was quickly assessed and cleared by Wittenberg Police," university officials said in a statement posted online. "Both messages targeted members of our local Haitian community."
The threats have targeted city and other government buildings, schools and now the colleges. They come after former President Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, spread baseless claims last week that Haitians were eating pets, hunting geese and ducks in parks, and squatting in homes.
Springfield leaders, including the mayor and police, have repeatedly denounced the accusations as false, saying no evidence exists to support them and asking politicians to stop spreading them.
Vance defended the debunked rumors on Sunday during a number of appearances on Sunday morning talk shows.
"Clearly these rumors are out there because constituents are seeing it with their own eyes and some of them are talking about it," he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press."
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also stepped in to dispel these false claims. He defended the Haitian community in Springfield during a Sunday morning ABC appearance. DeWine has promised to send about $2.5 million in state funding to Springfield to assist with strained health care providers, housing schools and increased traffic patrols.
"It’s unfortunate that this came up," he said. "Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work."
Local law enforcement and the FBI have investigated all threats, and nothing has been found; they suspect swatting.
Far-right groups like the Proud Boys marched Saturday in some parts of the city.
Members of the Haitian community in Springfield have expressed anger, confusion and fear. They've told WYSO they feel unsafe and gathered to speak out during a virtual conversation on Sunday night. The event was moved online after organizers received threats and some people were afraid to show up in person.
Jims Denis is Haitian and lives with his family in Springfield. Denis said he feels unsafe riding his bike or taking his kids to the park.
"You know, with the bomb threats and everything that is going on, Haitians are not safe in Springfield anymore," Denis said.
Philomene Philostin, a Haitian-American transplant from Florida who moved to the Miami Valley two years ago, owns a Haitian Grocery store in Springfield.
"All those bad things I heard about the Haitians, all those things, it is really painful. It hurts. It stresses you out, especially for the young kids, the ones that are in school now," Philostin said.
Many people showed up on Sunday to show their support for their Haitian neighbors.
Rose Goute Creole restaurant in Springfield was packed on Sunday with a diverse group of people. And the owners said it’s been like this for days.
Stephanie Whittaker from Omaha, Nebraska, was road-tripping to Baltimore and decided to stop for lunch in Springfield. She had heard on the news about what the Haitian people here have been dealing with.
"Obviously there's been a little craziness and rumors around here," she said. "So the Jesus that my mom taught me about told me to build bigger tables and help people. So I thought I would come and see if there was anything actually happening. And we just got really good food."
Faith leaders have supported and welcomed the Haitian community in Springfield for years. Across the political spectrum, many faith leaders have denounced how their Haitian neighbors are being treated.
That includes Carl Ruby, the senior pastor at the non-denominational Central Christian Church. He invited some Haitian people in the community to attend his service on Sunday, and they did.
"There are risks to standing with oppressed people, and our Haitian friends are not oppressed out of any fault of their own," Ruby said. "They're oppressed because of what people in our community are doing to them. They are a strong, proud, capable group of people, and we absolutely love them."
Ruby considered canceling Sunday's service or shifting it online because of the threats he received. But he said he wanted to be there for the Haitian folks in the community who attend his church.
He also printed out 15,000 cards in Haitian-Creole and English saying the card holder is glad they’re there. That’s because some other people in the community have printed out their own messages telling the Haitians to return home.
Ruby led those gathered on Sunday morning in prayer, calling on God's assistance.
"Where there has been chaos in our city, replace it with peace," he said. "Where there has been sorrow in our city, replace it with joy. Where there has been division, replace it with unity. And where there has been hate in our city, replace it with love."
