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Police investigating new hate message directed at Potsdam prof threatened with racist, homophobic death threats last spring

Posted 11/24/15

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam officials say police are investigating a new hate message directed at a faculty member who was the target of racist and homophobic death threats in the spring. Although a news …

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Police investigating new hate message directed at Potsdam prof threatened with racist, homophobic death threats last spring

Posted

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam officials say police are investigating a new hate message directed at a faculty member who was the target of racist and homophobic death threats in the spring.

Although a news release from the school only refers to the victim as “our SUNY Potsdam faculty member,” he has come forward and has been identified in media reports as John Youngblood, an English and communication professor.

The content of the note and where and how it was discovered aren’t being released now, according to college spokesperson Alex Jacobs. She cited an ongoing investigation.

University police and other agencies are investigating, according to SUNY Potsdam President Kristin Esterberg.

She said the new threat also includes “hateful racist and homophobic vitriol directed toward the wider campus community.

“First and foremost, our top priority is the safety of every individual on our campus, and especially our faculty member and their loved ones. University Police, with assistance from other agencies, is actively investigating this incident, and is working to ensure the security of our faculty member and their family,” Esterberg said in a prepared statement. “Both SUNY Potsdam University Police and Potsdam Village Police have deployed additional officers to patrol campus, to ensure college activities can continue as normal today and throughout the Thanksgiving break.”

She urges anyone with information to contact university police at 267-2222.

She said campus police are available for escorts to and from classes.

“This serious crime is nothing short of a sustained attack on all that we stand for as a community and the values that we hold dear. We will not and cannot tolerate despicable threats aimed toward any one of our family members, and we will do everything in our power to protect and support our campus community,” Esterberg said.

A former SUNY Potsdam student was arrested Nov. 12 for making the death threats last spring.

Amjad Hussain was charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated harassment/hate crime, felony, according to Esterberg.

Hussain allegedly sent two written messages in April to the professor that included death threats as well as racist and homophobic vitriol, college officials said. The messages also threatened the lives of Youngblood's children and family.