The University of Hawaii at Hilo School of Nursing temporarily shut down this week after officials learned of a male student making threats via social media.
On Wednesday, Kay Daub, director of the School of Nursing, learned of the threats, which had been posted on Facebook around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. She immediately reported the information to UH-Hilo’s Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Cedric Muir, who set the school’s crisis team in action, said Jerry Chang, University Relations director.
“In the interest of safety of all students and faculty, the dean and the chair of the School of Nursing decided to cancel all clinical classes to prevent any possible confrontations between students, faculty and the individual,” Chang said.
The student, who was not identified by school officials, has been suspended as the school investigates the alleged threats. On Friday, the dean met with the student, who was escorted on campus by a security guard, Chang said. Aside from that meeting, the student will not be allowed back on campus until the matter has been investigated and a conclusion has been reached.
The outcome of the investigation could include expulsion, he added.
“All of this is being handled with the utmost in confidentiality,” Chang said. “There has been no arrest, but the police said they would check right away on this individual’s prior (criminal) records, and check to see on his firearm ownership. They said they would get back to us if they found anything like that. We haven’t heard back from them.”
Chang was concerned about releasing too much information on the nature of the threats, but said they involved the student’s worries about graduating. He is alleged to have threatened harm against “anyone who might get in the way of his completing his nursing degree,” Chang said.
The School of Nursing is scheduled to reopen to students and faculty next week, he added.
“Everything will be back to normal on Monday,” he said.
Daub said Friday that the decision to close the school was made out of an abundance of caution. She added that students would be allowed to make up any clinical hours missed because of the closure.
“We have the resources to ensure the students will have all their clinical hours needed to graduate,” she said. “That will not be an issue at all.”
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.