Freshmen trio face expulsion after making 'hit list' containing 18 students

by JOHN LASKO

News-Times reporter

Police and school administrators are trying to figure out what prompted three freshmen boys at Amherst Steele High School to threaten bodily harm to 18 male and female freshmen and sophomore students.

According to Amherst Police Department spokesman lieutenant Joseph Kucirek, on Monday, Nov. 3, the three students created what they called a "hit list" during their lunch period. Assistant principal Jeanne Kornick was made aware of the list by a concerned parent late Monday afternoon, which prompted the investigation by both school administrators and law enforcement personnel Tuesday, Nov. 4.

"The hit list was eventually recovered by the police department and the parents of the 18 male and female students whose names appeared on the list were notified of the situation," Kucirek said.

After conducting several interviews with witnesses, the three underclassmen were arrested and charged with unruliness, inducing panic and aggravated menacing. Kucirek said the case has now been turned over to Lorain County Juvenile Court.

"We don't believe they were serious about carrying out these threats because I think it's a matter of three individuals doing things they shouldn't be doing," Amherst superintendent Steve Sayers told the News-Times.

Police told school administrators no weapons were found or recovered on the three boys.

"But obviously we are taking this situation at the high school very, very seriously," Sayers said.

Steele principal Mike Gillam suspended the three boys for the next 10 days, which is the maximum for which a school principal within the Amherst Exempted Village Schools can suspend a student. Kucirek added the three boys were cooperative with officers throughout the investigation.

"There were no injuries to any students and no alleged acts of violence were ever carried out by the suspects," Kucirek said.

Sayers said the district is in the process of scheduling expulsion hearings when the three boys and their parents will meet with Sayers, Gillam and Kornick. Each faces a maximum of an 80-day expulsion from school, on top of the 10 day out-of-school suspension they are serving.

In an attempt not to compromise the expulsion process, neither Kucirek nor Sayers would say what the boys planned to do to these 18 students. Sayers hopes the hearing will enable him to learn more about what motivated them to create the hit list in the first place.

"This will give me the opportunity to hear from the administration, to hear from the students and then I will be able to make an informed decision accordingly," he said.

Security around campus was tighter then normal, with an officer sitting in a cruiser outside the front entrance of the school, while another, along with a school administrator, patrolled the inside of the building.

"Were trying to reassure everyone that everything is OK and that Steele High School is still a very safe place to be," Sayers said.