According to officials, the threat was first voiced Thursday evening when someone called the Thurston County Communications Center claiming to be armed and en route to Evergreen. The call was made from an unknown number to the center’s regular business line and not the emergency line.
The school decided to immediately evacuate the campus after being notified, with one student telling a Fox affiliate, "One of my professors said, 'Everyone, I just got a text, we have to evacuate immediately.'"
Investigators found no imminent danger to students after searching the campus.
This incident comes hard on the heels of the school’s annual Day of Absence, an April event designed to raise awareness about racial issues. Traditionally on the Day of Absence, students and staff of color don’t come to campus, and instead take part in activities away from the school.
This year, however, minority students called for white students and staff to stay off campus to discuss race issues as a sign of “solidarity.” The change immediately sparked controversy, as some white students and staff felt it indicated they were unwelcome at the school.
At the center of the controversy is biology professor Bret Weinstein, who supports the Day of Absence but says it’s inappropriate to tell groups to stay off campus based on their race.
Rashida Love, who directs the school’s First People’s Multicultural Advising Services program, informed Weinstein in an email exchange that no one was being forced to participate.
"There are however, many people in our campus community who believe it worthy to dedicate 8 hours of their lives to engaging in conversations around racism, equity and inclusion," she wrote.
Weinstein, who identifies as "deeply progressive," wrote, "There is a huge difference between a group or coalition deciding to highlight their vital and underappreciated roles, and a group or coalition encouraging another group to go away. The first is a forceful call to consciousness, which is, of course, crippling to the logic of oppression. The second is a show of force, and an act of oppression in and of itself."
After about 50 students crashed Weinstein’s class, loudly demanding his resignation, he said,"The stigma of racism was thrown at me. It’s preposterous, there is nothing racist about what I said."
The school says it does not know if Thursday’s threat was related to these issues, but on its website addressed the protests, saying "Everyone on our campus has the right to feel safe. Free speech must be fostered and encouraged. Every faculty member, student, and staff member must have the freedom to speak openly."
The school operated in a suspended mode on Friday, meaning the 900 students living on campus could still use campus services, though classes were not held.
