UBC gets low grades for handling anonymous threat
School cancels classes in the Biological Sciences Building after receiving 2nd threat
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | 10:44 PM PT
CBC News
A communications consultant is giving the University of British Columbia a low grade for its handling of threats from an anonymous person who has alarmed the student population by threatening to harm people on campus.
"They are getting a very minimal C grade for what they have done here,'' Jim Stanton said in an interview with CBC.
Students head to class on Wednesday morning at UBC.
(CBC)
Stanton believes the university should have done more to reassure the student population following Tuesday's RCMP warning of a second threat.
"I didn't hear that,'' he said.
For many students, Wednesday was just another day at school, but some nervous students told CBC News they were still concerned about the source of the mysterious threat, and were comforted by the increased RCMP presence on campus.
"It's really troublesome to see. Hopefully with the campus security and the police, they'll be able to do their job and we can feel safe going to school," said student Joe Masi.
A spokesman for the university said it would be business as usual for most of the campus, although classes in the Biological Sciences Building were cancelled Wednesday. The building remained open, however, for students and staff to use.
Last Wednesday, staff and students in the campus's busy Biological Sciences were locked down for several hours after police received a message that people would be harmed.
An RCMP Emergency Response Team searched the building before releasing the students and staff without incident later in the afternoon.
On Tuesday, RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said the latest threat came in a call indicating that the previous threat would be carried out on Wednesday.
The specifics of the threat have not been released, but police confirmed that no particular building was named and no particular time, other than Wednesday, was mentioned.
UBC spokesman Scott Macrae said an e-mail was sent Tuesday afternoon to all students and staff to notify them about the latest threat.
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Students head to class on Wednesday morning at UBC. 