The lawyer representing a Black student arrested at Mississippi State University last month after an employee accused him of threatening to blow up the financial aid office says he plans to pursue legal action against the school following a dispute over the student’s scholarship.
Prominent civil rights attorney Harry Daniels says officials falsely accused Zayden Leonard, a 21-year-old MSU junior, of making terroristic threats on Aug. 26. after a “confusing “phone call with a financial aid office employee during which he tried to resolve a problem with one of his academic scholarships needed to fund his fall semester.
“He felt like she was incorrect and asked to speak to another person,” Daniels told Atlanta Black Star (ABS).
“[Leonard] said he was on his way down there so he could speak to someone in person. He spoke to that person. And that transaction seemed unremarkable, nothing really interesting transpired, but next thing you know he’s being told to put his phone down and multiple police officers were there to arrest him.”
Leonard was sitting in the financial aid office patiently waiting for assistance, Daniels said, when at least six campus police officers came in, ordered him to stand up, and then cuffed his hands behind his back, detaining him for under an hour.
The officers later explained to Leonard that one of the financial aid employees had called them claiming that he had threatened to blow up the office, a charge that could result in up to ten years in federal prison, Daniels noted.
Daniels said the arrest left Leonard “shell-shocked,” but the 21-year-old denies making any threats against anyone.
The attorney characterized Leonard as a model student who has never been in any kind of legal trouble. Leonard graduated as a standout honors student from Shades Valley High School in Irondale, Alabama, and now majors in biology at MSU, where he participates in ten campus organizations, including a four-day camp that welcomes incoming freshmen.
“As a father, an attorney and an American, this is terrifying,” Daniels said in a statement after the student’s arrest. “Zayden Leonard is everything a parent could want. He’s smart, hard-working, respectful and genuinely kind. He did everything right but thrust in a dangerous situation could have cost him his future, his freedom and his life because some employee called police with this ridiculous lie.”
Daniels told ABS that Leonard has not faced criminal charges or disciplinary action from the university.
His law firm is still investigating the incident and “working on the legal issues related to it. Daniels said the team needs to determine its next steps to seek legal redress and did not rule out filing a civil lawsuit against MSU.
“People who weaponize law enforcement to show power should be held accountable for their actions,” Daniels told Mississippi Today. “The situation could have ended up deadly.”
Mississippi State University Public Affairs Director Sid Salter said in a statement, “The university has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. When concerns are reported involving potential threats to campus personnel or operations, the university follows safety and reporting procedures.”
“The university cooperates with appropriate law enforcement authorities while also ensuring that students have access to applicable university resources and support services,” Salter added.
Salter and MSU declined to provide additional details about the incident or its aftermath, citing ongoing legal and disciplinary processes. Campus law enforcement said it is directing questions about the incident and investigation to the university’s communications department.
