CINCINNATI (AP) – A suburban Cincinnati school district has closed schools after a woman reported being grabbed around the neck by a male dressed as a clown who she said made a threat against students.

Reading Community City School District officials referred to the threat in a Facebook posting announcing district schools would be closed Friday. School officials said they take all threats seriously and were concerned about the number of students who walk to school in the early morning.

People in other parts of Ohio and other states have reported scary or suspicious encounters with people dressed like clowns in recent weeks.

Police in the Cincinnati suburb of Colerain Township say they arrested a juvenile Thursday in connection with a clown threat there involving threatened harm to Colerain High School students.