Marshall County Superintendent Fred Renzella will not say whether two John Marshall High School students accused of threatening schools have been expelled.

A student expulsion hearing was held before the Marshall County Board of Education on Tuesday night, but Renzella refused Wednesday to confirm that the hearing involved the 14-year-old freshmen and would not divulge the outcome of the hearing or how the students who made the threat will be disciplined. He said the hearing was closed at the request of "the parents."

"I can't comment on that (the hearing)," Renzella said. "It was a closed hearing. There are no minutes. There is no record."

A threatening note was found in a John Marshall High School bathroom Sept. 28, targeting that school in Glen Dale and Sherrard Middle School in Sherrard. West Virginia State Police, the Marshall County Sheriff's Department and the Glen Dale Police Department responded, and both schools were evacuated. After reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses, investigators identified suspects - one of whom has confessed, officials said.

Marshall County Prosecutor Jeff Cramer said one juvenile will be charged with conveying false information concerning a terrorist act, while the other will be charged with making a false statement to a police officer during a felony investigation. He said the sentences that could be imposed would ultimately be up to the juvenile court judge handling the cases.

When it comes to student discipline, Renzella said the board is very protective of what information is released. While he acknowledged that students must be aware of the serious penalties that can result from making threats, he added that students who "make mistakes" must be able to move on and be given opportunities to better themselves.

"We do have to respect the parent and the child," Renzella noted. "I've never been in one of these hearings where the parents don't break down.

"They just want to get past this," he added. "We just need to focus on repairing."

According to Marshall County Schools Board of Education policy, a student accused of making a threat can be expelled for a maximum of one year. Renzella said students who are suspended or expelled can still receive an education through various alternative education programs held outside of the school day. They cannot, however, participate in certain programs, including sports and extracurricular activities.

"It's a huge penalty for something so dumb," Renzella said.

After speaking with Renzella, The Intelligencer found that board policy 5.3.14.F.1 requires an expulsion be recorded "to capture the audio portion of the hearing." Renzella did not return calls seeking comment on whether this was done during the Tuesday hearing.