Tufts University has received six bomb threats in the past several days, with those making them claiming to be motivated by opposition to the school’s initiatives on anti-racism and diversity.
The first threat came last Wednesday, following the Tuft’s Diversity and Inclusion department hosting “Unpacking Whiteness” — part of a series of programs focused on addressing “the experience of those who have racial privilege and who would like to find support in understanding how to practice anti-racism in their daily lives.”
The bomb threat, emailed to the Diversity and Inclusion department, said it was a response to the event.
“Tufts university continues to fuel anti white racism in this country by having bullshit courses like ‘unpack whiteness’ which is anti white propaganda,” the email read. “We are a multiracial group who doesn’t want white people to be treated like shit… We placed several bombs in Tufts university, we don’t want anyone to die, we are just here to send a message.”
The next threat came on Thursday morning. In both cases the university evacuated the buildings targeted by the threat, but a search by law enforcement officers revealed no explosives.
The school announced a third threat on Friday but did not specify whether it was a bomb threat.
Tufts received its fourth threat on Monday alongside several Boston media outlets, according to MassLive. It listed seven buildings as possible targets on the Medford/Somerville campus.
The university received a fifth on Tuesday morning and the latest on Wednesday morning.
The Tuesday threat targeted the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms along with the university, saying that a bomb would detonate at the agency’s Boston office “within minutes,” according to the campus newspaper, Tufts Daily.
Federal, state and local authorities are collaborating in an ongoing investigation but so far none of the threats led to casualties.
Following the series of threats, the Tufts School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy moved all remaining final exams online, according to the university.
Following Monday’s threat, Tufts University President Anthony Monaco said in a letter to university students and staff that investigators found no bombs or suspicious objects.
The university has “increased security and patrols” on multiple campuses and is “ready to respond at any time,” Monaco wrote.
“Several of the threats have included messages indicating that the emailer(s) are opposed to: our university values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ); the hard work we have done collectively; and the much-needed and difficult conversations within our institution to move forward as a diverse and inclusive community, and as active citizens in our wider society,” he added. “Investigators note that it does not necessarily mean that this is definitely the cause of these threats. However, I acknowledge that these threats have been unnerving to members of our community, especially those who are deeply involved in DEIJ work, and those who actively participate in these programs, support our colleagues, and work towards our institution’s noble mission.”
