Summer student charged with false report of bias activity

Following an investigation that included a review of campus e-mail logs, Cornell officials filed charges against a summer college student for falsely reporting bias activity.

The African American student filed a report July 1 through Cornell's bias response program, saying a threatening note had been received in the student's room in a campus residence hall. The report was immediately referred to Cornell Police, who began an investigation. The student later reported receiving another threatening note and a threatening e-mail message.

Cornell Police obtained a grand jury subpoena to check e-mail logs to determine who sent the e-mail message. In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that the threatening message came from the student's own account. The student later admitted to sending the message and writing the two threatening notes.

The student, accompanied by parents, was arraigned July 19 in Ithaca City Court on a charge of falsely reporting an incident (a class B misdemeanor) and was released in custody of the parents and ordered to receive counseling. The student withdrew from the summer program.

William Boice, director of Cornell Police, said: "Cornell is committed to diversity and an inclusive campus environment. Incidents of bias and harassment on campus are of serious concern. Each report is investigated thoroughly. Falsely reporting bias incidents creates a climate of fear for other students, and we will take action against those who disrupt campus life with false reports."

University officials responded to other bias-related incidents reported during the summer program, including the vandalizing of signs for a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender support group, postings of inappropriate images of women and alleged racial slurs made at a party. A resident adviser discovered two students damaging the support group signs; the students wrote letters of apology and received follow-up advising. In the second incident, after an educational meeting with residents, two students came forward and confessed to posting the inappropriate images. They were required to write letters of apology and were given warning letters. The third report, alleging racial slurs, was discovered after investigation to be inaccurate.