Late Tuesday night, Black students at Kean University received death threats via Twitter during a campus sit-in.
A user named @KeanUAgainstBLK wrote a series of racist and violent tweets aimed at Black students participating in Camp Night Out, a peaceful demonstration to draw attention to racism on campus. The account posted tweets such as, “i will shoot any black person I see at kean university” before students discovered the account and spread the tweets on social media.
Black students at Kean University in NJ are being threatened via Twitter. #StudentBlackOut pic.twitter.com/0cwlLJdgCq
— Shakima (@miesh_b) November 18, 2015
So now Kean University is getting threats
— Beowulf (@ImaJeen_Yes) November 18, 2015
Threats have now started towards black students at #keanuniversity
— Solomon (@RXPTVR) November 18, 2015
Kean University posted to their Twitter account that an investigation had begun into the threats.
We are aware of the situation on Twitter and it is being looked into. — Kean University PD (@kupolice) November 18, 2015
Many students were not satisfied with the university’s response. Some asked for escorts to class, while others suggested to not attend at all.
I’m asking Kean students as your student leader to not attend classes tomorrow as recent threats have been made against the campus.
— Nigel Donald (@Nigeld906) November 18, 2015
The campus is not on lock down but I urge students that live on campus to stay in their residence hall, and not travel through the campus — Nigel Donald (@Nigeld906) November 18, 2015
@kupolice can I be escorted to class? #Scared
— Ri. (@sototallyrianna) November 18, 2015