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Auburn city schools and Cayuga Community College canceled classes and closed their campuses Wednesday (March 4) following an alleged threat, according to local reports. Details about the nature of the threat have not been publicly disclosed by authorities.
The closure affects students, staff, and faculty across both the K-12 school district and the community college campus. Officials have not announced when normal operations will resume.
This incident occurs amid a broader pattern of threats targeting educational institutions across the United States. Earlier this year, at least 10 colleges nationwide received threats to their campuses on a single day in January, triggering lockdowns and heightened security measures. The FBI later confirmed many of those threats were hoaxes originating from outside the United States.
Among the institutions targeted in January were the University of Southern California, Villanova University, Fordham University, and New York University. At least four historically Black colleges and universities, including Savannah State University, Morris Brown College, Morehouse College, and Wiley College, also received threatening communications. Campus police at USC reported the threats contained threatening and racially charged messages.
Federal authorities investigating the January incidents found similarities in the language used across multiple threatening emails, which condemned "a long list of racial and religious groups," according to Fordham's Associate Vice President Robert Fitzer.
Law enforcement has not indicated whether Wednesday's threat to Auburn institutions is connected to the earlier wave of threats against colleges nationwide. Investigators are working to determine the credibility of the threat and identify its source.
Parents and students are advised to monitor official communications from Auburn city schools and Cayuga Community College for updates regarding campus reopening.