HBCUs targeted by racist email threat hoax
Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country, including Morehouse and Morris Brown Colleges in Atlanta, were targeted by threatening emails rooted in white supremacy.
ATLANTA – Multiple historically Black colleges and universities across the country, including Morehouse and Morris Brown colleges in Atlanta, resumed normal operations Thursday afternoon after federal and local authorities determined that a series of violent threats were hoaxes.
Local perspective:
The security alerts began in the early morning hours Thursday when several institutions received emails threatening violence. At the Atlanta University Center (AUC), Morehouse College received a threatening email around 1 a.m. that officials described as being “rooted in white supremacy.”
Morris Brown College followed with an emergency alert around 9:30 a.m. after receiving a similar “racist email” at approximately 1:30 a.m. The college directed all 540 of its students to pivot to virtual studies and avoid reporting to campus while law enforcement investigated.
The threats prompted immediate coordination between the colleges and multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Atlanta Police Department, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. After a several-hour investigation, authorities declared the threats to be a hoax.
Shortly before noon, Morris Brown informed FOX 5 Atlanta that the college had been “cleared to resume normal campus operations.”
Big picture view:
Similar threats were reported at HBCUs nationwide, including:
- Savannah State University in Georgia
- Wiley University in Texas
- Alcorn State University in Mississippi
Threat received by Morris Brown College and others
Multiple colleges and universities across the U.S. received threats on Thursday morning, including Morris Brown College and Morehouse College in Atlanta. No credible threat was found. Aungelique Proctor reporting.
What’s next:
Despite the all-clear, campuses at the AUC, including Spelman College, remain on heightened alert. Security has been increased at several of the affected schools, and officials are asking students, staff, and faculty to remain vigilant and report any unusual activity.
Dig deeper:
According to Newsweek, Villanova University in Pennsylvania and Wiley University in Texas also received a “threat of violence” against the school. Alcorn State University in Mississippi also reportedly received a threat.
New York University also received threats by email. The New York Police Department responded to the campus on Thursday, but did not find anything.
FBI Atlanta confirmed to FOX 5 Atlanta that it is aware of “hoax” threats being made to schools throughout Georgia. THey also said they have received no information to indicate the threats are “credible,” but said it will continue to work with their local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share and act upon threat information as it is received.
Morris Brown College has been in local headlines lately because of the firing and rehiring of its president, Kevin James.
James was fired from the college over a week ago. Then, he was reinstated. A reason for his firing has not been revealed.
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