Prosecutor’s office may file paperwork on school threats next week

The Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s office is preparing paperwork seeking to declare several juveniles as delinquents after they were accused of making threats against local high schools.

Three juveniles, one a current Columbus East High School student and one a former East student, and a student at the Simon Youth Academy in Edinburgh, were each arrested on Level 6 felony intimidation charges by police and taken to the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Bartholomew County Prosecutor Bill Nash said his office is considering requesting the cases be waived to adult court, but any paperwork supporting that won’t be filed until next week. Any request for a waiver to adult court would be considered by the Bartholomew County Juvenile Court Magistrate Heather Mollo.

A Level 6 felony charge in Indiana is punishable by a sentence of six months to two-and-a-half years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Hope Town Marshal Matt Talent said he is preparing paperwork to request that the prosecutor’s office charge a 15-year-old male Hauser High School student with Level 6 felony intimidation. Allegations were made that the 15-year-old threatened to kill another student, school officials said. The prosecutor’s office has not yet received any paperwork in that case, Nash said Friday.

In addition to criminal charges, the students also face possible disciplinary action from their respective schools.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.