By: Olivia Krauth
A justice administration professor was forced to cancel class after a student threatened him this past Tuesday.
Professor Ronald Holmes, professor emeritus in the justice administration department, sent an email to his Tuesday night Sex Crimes class stating that he was cancelling class due to “safety concerns.”
“The safety concerns turned out to be that he had some concerns about a student had been citied a couple of times for being on campus…when the student had been banned from campus,” said Mark Hebert, director of media relations at U of L.
The student in question is 26 year old Garrett Key. According to reports by WAVE 3 News, Key has been banned from campus, yet has violated that ban twice and has been cited with criminal trespassing twice. Key has also threatened to bring a firearm on campus.
Hebert could not confirm whether or not this incident was connected to the banned student who was arrested on campus nearly two weeks ago.
Deborah Keeling, chair of the department of justice administration, said that she was not immediately notified of the incident due to privacy laws, but was concerned about the incident for multiple reasons.
“Obviously, there is concern for the safety of my students, faculty and staff,” Keeling wrote in an email to the Cardinal. “I am concerned for the disruptive effect that his removal from our building and our classrooms on, at least, three occasions has caused for other students in his classes.”
Keeling also stated that the department is working with university police, as well as the Dean of Students Office, to minimize the results of the incident and to review safety procedures within the department.
