The aggravated menacing charge brought against Rachel A. Gauntner has been reduced from a fifth-degree felony to a first-degree misdemeanor, according to the Portage County Clerk of Courts Office.
The felony dismissal came when Gauntner appeared before Judge Barbara Oswick in Portage County Municipal Court on Feb. 11.
in a previous ruling, Oswick also prohibited Gauntner, 33, of Kent, from stepping on Davey Elementary grounds and banned her from any contact with students.
The same restrictions apply to Children's Advantage Counseling and Mental Health Center in Ravenna, Oswick ordered.
Gauntner was released on her own recognizance, and will remain out of jail, for the time being, so long as the court's conditions are met.
Gauntner will appear before Portage County Municipal Court Judge Barbara Oswick for a pretrial on Feb. 28.
Alleged school shooting threat
According to Kent police, Gauntner issued a violent threat on Jan. 31 while airing criticisms to a teacher about the level of education her special needs son was receiving.
The teacher and another eyewitness reported Gauntner even referenced the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, said Kent Police Lt. Jim Prusha.
However, the teacher waited until the next morning (Feb. 1) to report the threat, saying she wanted to check with the school’s administration on how to proceed, Prusha added.
That decision, coupled with a lack of communication from the Kent City Schools about the incident, outraged parents who took to Patch's comment boards and aired their frustrations.
Gauntner was arrested on Feb. 1, and allowed police to search her residence.
No guns were found.
Read on:
Davey Shooting Threat Causes District to Address Communication
Its kind of jumbled to many of us reading about this. A "real" threat gets called in ASAP. With a real threat you go to the Principal, I imagine, and say "what should we do- are you calling it in or me?" Real threats CANT wait til the next day. People want to know: who had the info and didnt call it in THAT day? You mentioned 3 times the teacher didn't wait. WHO did wait?
WRONG PATCH! Do you hacks have ANY editors? Do you EVER bother to get FACTS correct? My God no wonder you people write for Patch. The students who write for Kent Stater and Buchtellite are more respected.