Press Releases
House Judiciary & Congressional Black Caucus Leaders Request DOJ, FBI Briefing on Bomb Threats Against HBCUs
Washington,
February 3, 2022
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Judiciary Committee and Congressional Black Caucus leaders sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting an immediate briefing on their investigations into a recent wave of bomb threats targeting historically Black colleges and universities across the nation. The letter was signed by Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH). In their letter, the Members wrote, "the students and faculty at these institutions should not have to fear for their lives on campus," and urged Attorney General Garland and Director Wray to "make direct contact with the leaders of these HBCUs, in order to better facilitate communication regarding these threats." The Members also stated that, "the whole of government must be directed at bringing the perpetrators of these threats to justice without delay." Full text of the letter can be found below and here: February 3, 2022 The Honorable Merrick Garland
Christopher A. Wray Dear Attorney General Garland and Director Wray, We write to request that the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provide a briefing for the House Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus about recent bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) around the country. According to the Washington Post, on Tuesday alone, the following HBCU’s received threats of a bomb on campus: Rust College, Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Fort Valley State University, Spelman College, Morgan State University, Coppin State University, Harris-Stowe State, Kentucky State University, Xavier University, Philander Smith College, Edward Waters University, Howard University, and the University of the District of Columbia. Notably, this was Howard University’s third bomb threat in thirty days. The students and faculty at these institutions should not have to fear for their lives on campus. We urge you to make direct contact with the leaders of these HBCUs, in order to better facilitate communication regarding these threats. To the extent that these bomb threats are linked to the recent surge in violence at other minority institutions and houses of worship, we also urge you to coordinate your response with state and local law enforcement officials and across federal agencies. The whole of government must be directed at bringing the perpetrators of these threats to justice without delay. Although we understand that the Department and the FBI do not comment on the specifics of ongoing investigations, we note that many members of the House Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus attended and are otherwise closely affiliated with several of these colleges and universities. Any information you can provide today will help us better serve these institutions and ensure they remain safe for years to come. We look forward to your briefing. Thank you for your consideration. |
