The college suspended a student Sept. 7 after the student published a perceived threat within a racial epithet via Twitter, according to a Campus Police report.
Student Houston Richards, 19, said his post was a reaction to an unidentified Arab-looking male bumping into him in the hallway without excusing himself. Richards said he thought his post could only be viewed by his followers on Twitter.
Dennis Day, vice president of student services, said when there is a perceived threat, the college assesses the level of threat and creates an interim suspension in order to check the background of the student in question.
“If we find nothing at all, then we would come up with a plan of action for that person to make it a learning moment as opposed to a criminal moment,” Day said. “For me, because you’re a college student, I really want you to learn from anything that happens, bad or good. After all, learning comes first, right?”
Richards meets with Day regularly, and has been allowed to return to class.
Richards could not be reached for comment.
Compiled by Rachel Kimbrough.