UW-Parkside Racial Threats Hoax

Earlier this week, racially-motivated threats were directed at African American students on the UW-Parkside campus, creating fear and chaos.

From the Associated Press:

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has tightened security after racially-motivated threats were made against black students.

A third threat was reported Thursday night, shortly after a Black Student Union meeting where participants discussed a rubber band noose found in a residence hall.

The Journal Times reports a group of students reported finding fliers at a residence hall that listed several names, racial slurs and death threats.

UW-Parkside spokesman Dave Buchanan says police are maintaining a heightened presence all over campus. Police are also on duty indefinitely at the two residence halls in the evenings and requiring people to sign in.

More details on this week's events at Parkside, from the Journal Times:

Parkside reports hate crimes in residence hall, third incident reported Thursday evening

PHOTOS, VIDEOS: UW-Parkside holds all-campus meeting in response to recent hate crimes

Parkside community denounces recent campus events

UW-Parkside students students say apparent hate crimes don’t reflect the campus

The first incident reportedly occurred Wednesday when a student found a noose, made of rubber bands, hanging in the fourth floor common area of Pike River Suites, one of the university’s residence halls. On Thursday morning, Aubriana Banks, a senior studying criminal justice and ethnic studies who had found the noose and reported it, received a threatening note and a second noose on her door. Then on Thursday night, the situation further escalated when students found fliers at Pike River listing names of about a dozen black students and threatening them.

The fliers read: “(Racial slur) will die in 2 days. No (racial slur) wanted,” with 13 names listed below.

Obviously, this is extremely disturbing.

Discovering such acts of racial hate had to frighten the campus community. It appeared Parkside fosters an environment that's hostile to black students.

Turns out the perpetrator wasn't a crazed white supremacist.

A female African American Parkside student orchestrated the terror that gripped the campus.

She confessed.

Following days of reported hate crimes and heightened security at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a student has confessed to creating the list threatening black students because she wanted greater attention to the issue, according to authorities Friday night.

The suspect, whose identity was being withheld for her protection, reportedly told authorities she created the fliers —which listed 13 black students by name and threatened they were going to die in two days — found Thursday because she was not satisfied with the initial response from a resident assistant to rubber bands that were said to look like a noose, according to a press release from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Friday.

In an escalation of events since Wednesday, which kicked off Black History Month on campus, a series of what was initially believed to be racially motivated threats at Parkside, 900 Wood Road, had sparked an atmosphere of fear among students and launched a criminal investigation on the campus.

“There is absolutely no danger to the students at Parkside due to this threat,” the release said. “Through investigation KSD’s detectives were able to determine that there never was a threat of harm to students at Parkside.”

...Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said charges will be filed after discussing the case with the District Attorney’s Office.

“Too many people were frightened and upset to let this case go without charges being filed,” he said in the release.

The suspect’s name is being withheld in order to “provide the opportunity to remove her from campus,” according to the release.

“Obviously, a high volume of emotions were generated over the last 24 hours,” the release stated. “Those emotions need to air out and not become focused on an individual.”

University officials had initially said at the onset of the incidents that the perpetrator, if caught, would at the very least likely face expulsion.

This student must face charges.

Of course, she should be expelled.

She kept the "hoax" going for days. It received plenty of media attention. Rather than quickly confessing, she made things worse by continuing to issue threats. She didn't back down. She ratcheted up the hate.

This student behaved despicably.

Sadly, there are real hate crimes, horrendous incidents.

Her scheme was just as horrendous. Hate is hate. Crime is crime.

To attempt to convince students that Parkside is a racial powder keg is inexcusable. Her actions ceratinly had the potential to do tremendous damage to Parkside's reputation.

The student has to be held accountable.

Charges need to be filed. She doesn't deserve the privilege of being a student at Parkside.

She needs some sensitivity training. The woman is racist.

Here's video from FOX6 News:

Student on UW-Parkside “hit list” admits to hoax



RAW VIDEO: UW-Parkside campus meeting on hate crime