Facebook post saying “burn the school down” leads Riverside police to arrest

RIVERSIDE — A social media post made ahead of a planned protest at Stebbins High School ended up landing a Miami Twp. man in jail, according to a Riverside police report.

Wayne Foutz, 54, was arrested at his home on McIntosh Court in Miami Twp. late Monday after Riverside police located him and questioned him about the post. He’s booked in jail on suspicion of making terrorist threats, but formal charges have not been approved.

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Foutz told police he posted on social media “Walter Stebbins was a confederate general. Burn the school down to solve racism. Then cross the street and take over the police station” as a joke. He also told police he took the post down right away after people started taking screenshots of the message.

Stebbins was not a Confederate general, but was the district’s first superintendent and an educator, who was born 40 years after the Civil War ended, Mad River Local Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Alexander said.

The post Foutz was accused of making was posted in the comments section of a Facebook post about a planned protest Tuesday at Stebbins High School, according to the police report.

“These threats are being taken seriously by the public and by the police,” the report read. “Due to many cities being burned down and some police departments being taken over during the protests, a threat like this could incite the people that are not out to peacefully protest, but are set on causing harm to others.”

Police told Foutz the post got enough attention from residents that police received calls from people concerned for their children’s safety and their safety.

Foutz attempted to defend himself saying he was on the officer’s side and continued to show the officer political posts to back his defense.

“I advised him that regardless of his views he was the one who broke multiple laws by posting such terrible threats for everyone to see on Facebook,” the officer wrote in the report.

The district said it is working with Riverside police to make sure the school grounds are safely maintained during the planned protest.

“The district understands the organizer’s right to a peaceful protest which will be held off of school grounds,” Alexander said. “All school activities have been canceled and no students will be on campus. As always, the safety of our students and staff remain our top priority.”

Foutz is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

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