Hoax Threats Target HBCUs, Causing Disruption on Campuses Across United States
At least six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) locked down their campuses, ordered students to shelter in place, or canceled classes Thursday after receiving threats of violence.
Some of the HBCUs reopened today, and the FBI has deemed the threats a “hoax” in a statement to NBC News.
“The FBI is aware of hoax threat calls to a number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” the Bureau said. “The FBI takes these threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention.”
A&M College, Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta College, Hampton University, Southern University, and Virginia State University all received threats and took preventative action on Thursday. Spelman College also issued a shelter-in-place order because of its proximity to Clark Atlanta College, Inside Higher Ed reported.
Campus officials and law enforcement responded quickly to the threats, which came at a volatile moment in the United States following Wednesday’s assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at an appearance at Utah Valley University.
Alabama State University cancelled all campus activities and classes on Thursday and had campus police work with local law enforcement to clear all buildings. Students living on campus were asked to shelter in place. The university reopened campus on Friday but urged students, faculty, and staff in a statement to “remain vigilant” and aware of their surroundings.
In Louisiana, the Southern University Baton Rouge landmass was on lockdown Thursday after it and A&M College received a potential threat to campus safety. The landmass includes Southern University’s Law Center, Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and Laboratory School, according to a statement from the university posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Southern University lifted the lockdown later on Thursday but took the precaution of canceling classes for Friday and through the weekend. It also instructed students living off campus and non-essential employees to evacuate campus.
Elsewhere, local CBS News affiliate WTVR reported that Virginia State University locked down its campus for several hours on Thursday and local law enforcement surveyed the campus and vehicles that approached the university’s main entrance.
Virginia State lifted the lockdown order but encouraged people on campus to limit their outdoor movement, canceled afternoon classes and extracurriculars, and continued to maintain an increased security presence.
Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah released a statement about the security incident, which he said was in response to a threat intended to “disrupt, intimidate, and instill fear in our community.”
“To those who seek to silence or scare us: we will not be intimidated,” Abdullah continued. “For over a century, Virginia State University and other HBCUs have stood as a beacon of knowledge, excellence, and resilience. Today’s events only reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe and empowering environment for our students, faculty, and staff.”
Hampton University—also in Virginia—cancelled classes on Thursday and Friday in response to a potential threat. The university partially reopened on Friday and resumed athletic activities after the FBI confirmed there was no credible threat to the Hampton community.
The Congressional Black Caucus called for the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the threats and pursue appropriate legal action against those responsible, according to a statement released Thursday.
“The threats made against several Historically Black Colleges and Universities are not only vile—they are a chilling reminder of the relentless racism and extremism that continues to target and terrorize Black communities in this country,” the statement said. “These terroristic threats, designed to intimidate and foment hatred against everyday Americans—in this case, Black institutions of higher learning—cannot go unchallenged and must not be swept aside. Black students and HBCU communities deserve to be protected.”
Several other higher education institutions also received threats of violence this week, including the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The false report of an active shooter at the academy—which authorities say was made by a former student not on campus—led to a lockdown and injuries for a midshipman and a law enforcement officer.
But experts say that the threats against HBCUs are different because they are part of a long pattern of violence towards institutions that serve Black Americans. Most recently in 2022, HBCUs received an almost unprecedented number of bomb threats that disrupted campus life and created anxiety for students and staff.
“Generally, we’ve seen an increase in bomb threats targeting both universities, community colleges, technical schools, and elementary schools,” said Sean Haglund, associate director of the Office of Bombing Prevention at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in a November 2022 interview with Security Management. “What that’s resulted in are just some pretty staggering numbers—a total of 725 bomb threats have been directed towards those facilities since January of 2022.”
The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded at the time by increasing outreach to HBCUs, providing increased training on how to respond to a bomb threat, and assessing measures to limit the creation of homemade explosive devices.
The Bureau identified that many of the 2022 threats were made by overseas actors and a minor based in the United States, who was charged by local prosecutors due to limitations on federal charges of juveniles.
