A pro-life student display at Miami University in Ohio became the focus of an online threat that led to a police investigation and the arrest of a student, according to Students for Life of America.
The group was tabling at the Armstrong Student Center on Oct. 28 when someone posted on Yik Yak, an anonymous social media app. A screenshot appeared to show a user asking how many dining dollars it would take to “Kirk” the anti-abortion table, an apparent reference to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Grace Kimzey, an Ohio regional coordinator for Students for Life, said a student monitoring online discussion about the display saw the post. Kimzey said she contacted campus police right away to help keep the students safe.
Students for Life said a 19-year-old Miami University student was arrested Nov. 2. The student faces a felony charge and several misdemeanors over the post, which the group said appeared to encourage violence against those staffing the display. The case was also referred to the FBI.
The charges include making a terroristic threat, inducing panic, aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment. The post appeared in a Yik Yak group for users near Miami University.
Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins said she has noticed a worsening climate for free speech on campuses. During a recent campus tour with Turning Point USA, she said, students had called her “Mrs. Kirk” and repeatedly used “Kirked” while she spoke at events where cameras were present.
Hawkins said students she confronted about comments regarding Charlie Kirk’s death laughed when she asked whether they found his assassination amusing. She also described asking a student whether shooting her would be moral if he disagreed with her. According to Hawkins, the student said yes.
A Miami University spokesperson said the school could not confirm whether a student was facing discipline because of federal student privacy law. The spokesperson said students are entitled to due process under the university’s conduct code, and that reports of potential rule or legal violations are handled through the Office of Community Standards and campus or local law enforcement. Possible sanctions depend on the alleged violation and the student’s conduct history.
The spokesperson referred questions about freedom of speech and expression to the university’s website. The university police department and Butler County Jail were contacted for comment.
