Ithaca College officials ID student who made physical threats to protesters on Yik Yak

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca College officials say they have identified a student who made physical threats on Yik Yak to protesters if they appeared at the Cortaca football game.

The threats were made Nov. 11 and 12 toward members of the activist organization People of Color at Ithaca College, known as POC @ IC who have protested against college President Tom Rochon’s leadership, spokesman David Maley said in a statement released Friday.

Officials are not releasing the student’s name because of uncited federal privacy laws, but the person was referred judicially for harassment and cyber bullying under the Student Conduct Code.

Yik Yak is a social media app that allows people to anonymously post public comments and photos that can be seen by others.

Screenshots of some of the threats are below and have been edited to remove profanity:

The statement from Maley can be read in its entirety below:

Following an investigation by the Office of Public Safety, Ithaca College has identified a current student as the person responsible for posting two threatening messages related to the Cortaca football game to the Yik Yak social media platform on November 11 and 12. The student was referred judicially for harassment and cyber bullying under the Student Conduct Code. Because of federal privacy laws, neither the name of the student nor the outcome of the judicial process can be made public.

As noted by President Rochon in his message last week to the campus community, Ithaca College is committed to maintaining an environment where it is safe for everyone to learn, work, and live. Any threats to our community or members of our community, including those made on social media, will be investigated and addressed.

If someone is threatening you or if you see a threat made to someone else, immediately call the Office of Public Safety at (607) 274-3333 (or 911 from an on-campus phone).

Jolene Almendarez