Richmond, MI – An administrator for Richmond Community Schools has resigned after he and his family received an antisemitic death threat.
Superintendent Brian Walmsley says the details involving the threat of one of his now former administrators and their family was disturbing and the investigation will continue until they get to the bottom of who’s behind it.
“That’s kind of the million-dollar question we’re all trying to figure out. Why and how did this happen?” said Superintendent Brian Walmsley on why the administrator received the threat.
Late last week, Richmond Middle School’s Dean of Students, Michael Woodberg, resigned after he and his family were targeted with an antisemitic death threat.
He was new to our district. He started right before the holiday break.
Walmsley says Woodberg only worked for the district for nine days before the threat was discovered in his office at the middle school.
“It was a decision he was torn to make because he was so excited about joining our team,” Walmsley stated.
The district says they take all threats very seriously and are working with police to make sure students and staff feel safe. That includes having law enforcement patrol the schools this entire week.
“We’ll do whatever we need whether it’s bringing in additional police officers, looking at our own procedures and protocols. We’re committed to their safety,” Walmsley added.
As far as any leads in the investigation, it’s hard to say.
“I have nothing definitive that says I think it’s this person. I just can’t imagine that it would be a staff member to do this, but there were opportunities that it could have been a parent, it could have been a student,” said Walmsley.
Meanwhile, the superintendent has this message for the community…
“Stick with us. We will get through this and we will find the person that did this,” Walmsley stated.
Also on Monday, Superintendent Brian Walmsley sent a letter to parents informing them of a second threat that was made towards another staff member through email.
That staff member received the email on Friday, Jan. 6.
After discussing the latest threat with police, school opened as planned on Monday with law enforcement in each of the district’s three buildings.
