Superintendent: No weapon was brought to Wellston Middle School Valentine's dance

Social-media posts alleging a middle-school student brought a firearm to the Wellston Middle School Valentine’s Dance prompted several parents to rush to the building, but Wellston Superintendent Scott Dorne told The Telegram on Tuesday morning, March 3, that "no weapon was present at the dance." However, the claims were unfounded.

The dance took place Saturday evening, Feb. 28, at Wellston Middle School and was open to students in grades 6–8. The cost was only $5 with proceeds benefiting the 8th-Grade D.C. Trip Fundraiser.

At least two social-media posts about the alleged incident generated more than 40 comments, prompting concern among parents. Some parents reported rushing to the school to pick up their children after seeing the online posts.

Dorne added that because student discipline matters are considered education records protected under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), he could not provide additional details. The superintendent’s FERPA explanation means district officials withheld further information about any disciplinary steps or specific students.

The district’s statement that no weapon was present and the FERPA limitation leave key questions unanswered for families and school staff, including whether school resource officers or local law enforcement were notified and how the rumor began. The $5 fundraiser for the 8th-Grade D.C. Trip was disrupted by the social-media episode, and district officials maintain the claims were unfounded while declining to release further discipline-related details under federal privacy protections.