Art teacher, a Royal Oak resident, charged with felony over threatening notes

A longtime Jefferson Middle School art teacher was ordered not to have any contact with the school after she was charged in 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores Monday with making a false report or threat of terrorism.

Investigators did not disclose a motive in the case.

Johnna Rhone, 59, of Royal Oak entered a plea of not guilty during the court hearing before Judge Joseph Oster. Her bond was set at $75,000, 10% surety.

The judge ruled Rhone must wear a GPS tether if she posts bail and will be under house arrest until she undergoes a psychological assessment to determine if she is a danger to the public and the results are made available to the court. He also ordered Rhone is barred from having contact with any students or employees of Jefferson Middle School.

Making a false report or threat of terrorism is a 20-year felony and if convicted, and fines of up to $20,000.

A probable cause hearing was set for Feb. 1, 2022.

The charges come in relation to three, handwritten, threatening notes that were found at the school early Friday morning, authorities said.

Assistant Macomb County Prosecutor Patrick Sierawski read the contents of one of the three notes found at the school Friday into the record: “Start break early. He’s going to do it. Just don’t be in the hall after lunch. Boom! Get it?”

The contents of the other two messages were not revealed. When asked at a post-arraignment press conference if the other notes could be considered threatening, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said: “It depends on how you want to interpret it.”

Lucido said notes were found in the school’s media center, library and in a classroom. It is not known if Rhone wrote the notes herself or if she distributed notes written by another party.

As Oster read the allegations against Rhone, who appeared in court via video from the Macomb

County Jail, kept repeating the words “not true.” Her attorney, Andrew Leone, cautioned her to remain silent.

“She appears to be shocked about these charges,” said Leone after the arraignment. “I understand there is footage from the school, but I have not seen it yet and I have not seen any of the discovery material.

“She is flat out denying these allegations. It is a serious charge and we all want to protect our community, but she is innocent until proven guilty.”

Leone cited a statement issued Friday by Lakeview Superintendent Karl Paulson saying that he did not

believe there was reason to initiate a lockdown or initiate any other safety protocols as an indication that his client does not pose any threat to society.

“The superintendent came out and said he saw no plausible threat,” said Leone. “He saw words on a piece of paper with nothing to back it up.”

Lucido noted this is the first arrest of an adult with regard to school threats in the wake of the shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30. He commended the Lakeview Public Schools for putting Rhone on administrative leave after her arrest on Friday.

“That will at least rest my mind that she won’t be around our children,” said Lucido. “She is still presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a

reasonable doubt. She still has a right to remain silent, although I would like to hear her side. But she has that right and she is invoking it.”

Lucido spoke at length about the role of teachers and the level of proper judgment and responsibility expected from an adult versus a child.

“I can expect something like this from a child, not an adult,” the prosecutor said. “I can expect something like this as it relates to a cry for help or somebody who is maybe desperate or someone who wants to have a day off.

“But I do not have a crystal ball to give you an exact answer as to why an adult who is in supervision and control of our children in a classroom would even think about doing something like this.”