Extra security measures were added at a Greenwood private school after a man threatened to kill his ex-wife, a teacher’s aide, in front of her students.
Greenwood Christian School, located off Averitt Road, added extra security measures at the school building, such as when parents drop off their children, and put the aide on administrative leave, Greenwood Christian Church executive minister David Strange said.
Marcus T. Griffin, 42, Brookston, was charged with harassment, a misdemeanor, and intimidation, a felony, and remains in the Johnson County jail on $5,000 bond.
Griffin’s ex-wife reported to police and her school principal that she had gotten four calls from her ex-husband on Nov. 6 and she had recorded them.
In the messages, Griffin told her to live in fear, that he would kill her and himself, that he would kill her father and that he would kill her at school in front of students, according to the Greenwood Police Department report.
School officials locked down the school for the two days after the threats were made, meaning no one was allowed outside, including for recess, Strange said. Greenwood police officers were also at the school those days, he said.
The aide remains on administrative leave as a precaution until the issue is resolved, including knowing how long Griffin will be kept in jail, Strange said.
The woman also got a protective order, according to court records.
The night of the threats, Griffin was taken to the hospital by police in Brookston, where he is living because he had made suicidal threats, the police report said.
White County Sheriff’s Office deputies went to see Griffin, and he left the home, where he was staying with a relative. Deputies followed him but could not get him to stop. They used a Taser on him twice before he could be arrested, according to the police report. Deputies found a box cutter on him and have had previous reports of Griffin attempting suicide, including by taking pills and shooting himself in the leg, the report said.
