SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: March 14, 2022

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Morehouse College

Region & Country:Americas | United States of America

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On March 14, 2022 at Morehouse College, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Atlanta, Georgia, campus operations were disrupted and students and faculty were ordered to shelter in place  after the school received an apparent bomb threat describing a suspicious package placed on campus. A police investigation determined that there were no explosives on campus and the order was lifted. 

Morehouse is among more than 30 HBCUs that have received bomb threats in the early months of 2022. (see report)  

Scholars at Risk is concerned about targeted, violent, and racist threats aimed at intimidating members of the higher education community and disrupting classes and campus life. Threats aimed at intimidating racial minorities on campus undermine academic freedom, university autonomy, and equitable access overall. Federal, state, and university authorities should take reasonable steps to respond to and prevent such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators accountable. In addition to the harm to the targets, such threats undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:

*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
https://saportareport.com/indirect-threat-sends-morehouse-into-shelter-in-place/sections/reports/allison/
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/morehouse-college-orders-students-shelter-place-due-bomb-threat-campus/XGUNZ2AOGRG7JCLGGCRZMOQBAI/