William Jewell to resume in-person classes Wednesday following threat from former student

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - William Jewell College says they’ll be resuming in-person classes on Wednesday after a former student made a threat on social media Monday night.

Following the threat, the college canceled in-person classes for Tuesday. William Jewell said they would share more details later in the day regarding the plan for the rest of the week. On Tuesday night, they shared some details from a message the president of the college sent to students and employees.

It said that the individual who made the initial threat on social media has 1) shown no signs of trying to access the campus and 2) has stopped sending threats to other people or posting online.

Thus, the college will move forward with on-campus activities and in-person classes on March 1. That being said, if a student still feels uncomfortable, faculty will be ready to provide virtual access for that student for the rest of the week.

The campus is still going to be patrolled by members of law enforcement. That includes residential facilities and the perimeter. “Campus Safety will be available to escort students from parking lots to buildings and across campus,” the college noted.

All the information that was shared with the media is below. Below that is previous reporting regarding the threat.

Our on-campus team and a representative from the Liberty Police Department provided a fulsome assessment of our situation, and to strategize regarding ongoing campus safety. With a plan to further increase security measures and the knowledge that the individual of concern has shown no signs of attempting to access campus and has ceased communicating threats to others or posting on social media, we plan on moving forward with on-campus activities tomorrow, March 1st.
The campus is being and will continue to be patrolled by members of the Liberty Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, and Campus Safety officers. This includes a clear presence on the Quad, at residential facilities, and the entire perimeter of campus. Events on campus will be staffed with armed law enforcement officers. We taking cautious steps to move forward with our classes and activities while remaining vigilant and making good choices.
• In-person classes will resume. Jewell’s faculty will be ready to provide virtual access to regular class sessions for students, should they feel more comfortable, for the rest of this week.
• In addition to law enforcement officers and Campus Safety officers present throughout campus, Campus Safety will be available to escort students from parking lots to buildings and across campus.
• All buildings will remain locked 24/7. Students, faculty, and staff can access buildings using their Jewell IDs.
• Athletic and co-curricular activities will resume under heightened security and with certain safety measures added to maximize student and staff safety.
• Campus dining and activities for students will occur as planned staffed with several law enforcement and Campus Safety officers throughout the day and into the evening.
The situation is fluid—and should we learn of any new information that would cause concern, the College will once again take steps to isolate the danger and protect our community.

Previous coverage from Tuesday afternoon, for reference:

William Jewell College has canceled in-person classes Tuesday and is going virtual-only following a threat on social media made last night by a former student.

A current student saw the threat and reported it to the school and Liberty police, according to the college. Liberty police are working with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department — where the former student is believed to be living — to find the former student and decide what to do next in the investigation.

Following the report, police and the school looked at other posts made by the person and deemed the threat credible. At that time, school administrators decided to close in-person operations for Tuesday and hold virtual instruction only, while also having increased security on campus.

The college hopes to have a plan for the rest of the week released to students and the public by 4 p.m. Tuesday. The hope is that police have located the person by then, but if not, they will go forward with whatever they believe is the most prudent plan for the week, whatever that ends up being.

The school is not releasing the person’s name to the public at large but did give the person’s name and a picture to students so they can be vigilant.