SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University announced on Tuesday that due to “campus security threats,” all of its home and away athletic events have been cancelled through Sunday. That includes the football team’s North Coast Athletic Conference opener that was scheduled for Saturday.
The move follows bomb threats that forced the closures of K-12 schools in Springfield last week. Local hospitals and organizations in the city also were on the receiving end of threats.
Related Article: Police Chief Shares Lessons Learned from Recent Bomb Threats Against HBCUs
Wittenberg university had already canceled all of its Sunday events and activities after it received an email on Saturday threatening a shooting of its Haitian community. However, after receiving more threats on Monday, the campus went fully remote for the entire week, at least until September 22.
As a result, the men’s and women’s soccer games, as well as events for the men’s and women’s golf teams, men’s and women’s cross country teams, and men’s tennis, field hockey, and volleyball teams have all been canceled, reports the Springfield News-Sun.
The city has received national attention in recent days after former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance spread debunked rumors about Haitian migrants in Springfield eating peoples’ cats and dogs. The unfounded rumors started online and then were amplified by far-right social media influencers, before being repeated by Trump and Vance, reports NPR.
Haitian Immigrants Are Helping Revive Springfield’s Economy
Springfield is a small city with a population of about 60,000 people. Between 15,000 and 20,000 legal immigrants, many from Haiti with Temporary Protected Status, recently came to the city to work. Since their arrival, the immigrants have boosted Springfield’s economy, which had previously been in major decline, reports WDTN. However, the influx of so many newcomers has strained the city’s resources and resulted in tensions in the community.
On Sunday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine defended the Haitian immigrants in Springfield and praised their work ethic.
