ROCK HILL, S.C. — Students at Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, were told to shelter in place Wednesday after bomb threats were made to several historically Black colleges and universities across the U.S. earlier this week.
Lester A. McCorn, the president of Clinton College, told WCNC Charlotte the school was taking extra precautions in the wake of those threats. McCorn said Clinton College has not received a threat.
"Our of an abundance of caution, we moved ahead with a shelter-in-place on campus," McCorn said. "We didn't want to overreact because we have not received a bomb threat. I thank God for that, but because of the nature of the threats, we felt like we would eventually be a target."
McCorn said the empty campus allowed for security to better monitor for suspicious activity.
At least a half-dozen historically Black universities in five states and the District of Columbia responded to bomb threats Monday. Both the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating. Schools that received threats include Albany State University in Georgia, Howard University in D.C., Bowie State University in Maryland and Bethune-Cookman in Florida.
"We had basketball games on our campus last night and we were on alert," McCorn said. "We didn't want to create panic among our students but you know, we're just very cautious."
McCorn said students at Clinton College will take classes online Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Students who live on campus will remain in their rooms unless leaving is absolutely necessary.
“I think it was prudent to put some preventative measures in place so they aren’t easy targets on campus,” McCorn said.
Monday's bomb scares came one day before the start of Black History Month and less than a month after a series of bomb threats were made to multiple historically Black universities on Jan. 4.
"I think the timing was strategic and intentional," said Charlotte NAACP President Corine Mack. "It's bad enough we get the shortest month of the year for Black history right, but the fact that somebody would think that a time where Black people have an opportunity to elevate our history and talk about who we are as a people and find ways to enlighten, educate, and inform is the very time that they decide they're going to threaten or intimidate young Black people, that's problematic."
Mack said the students didn’t deserve this.
“Our students are already having some levels of anxiety because of the pandemic, and now this is a second layer of trauma,” Mack said.
Rep. Alma Adams, who represents North Carolina's 12th District, issued a joint statement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty, saying in part, "Terrorism and racism have no place on college campuses or anywhere in our nation."
“We are deeply disturbed by a second round of bomb threats at HBCU campuses within a month," leaders of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus said in a statement Monday.
“Learning is one of the most noble and most human pursuits, and schools are sacred places that should always be free from terror," it said. “Solving these crimes and bringing those responsible to justice should be a top priority for federal law enforcement."
Lana Harris will have a full report on safety precautions at historically Black colleges and universities in the Charlotte area. That report will air during WCNC Charlotte News at 6 p.m.
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