Western Washington University Police Department Follow Up Case Report 2001 Bill McDonald Parkway, Bellingham, WA, 98225-9130

PHONE: 360.650.3555 FAX: 360.650.3367 [email protected]

Case No.

15-0701 Location of Occurrence / Address

OFF CAMPUS SOUTH/2401 Taylor Ave. #303, Bellingham/Bellingham, 98225 CODE SECTION

CRIME DESCRIPTION

9A.36.080

Malicious Harassment

Status:

Cad No.

Date and Time Reported

15-11-23-018356

11/23/2015 16:31

CLASSIFICATION

HARASS

Follow up Date:

Time From:

Time To:

11/29/2015

00:00

00:00

NARRATIVE:

On 11-28-2015 at about 1750 hours, C-5/ came to Campus Services, located at 2001 Bill McDonald Pkwy, to speak with me and Asst. Chief (AC) Donnell Tanksley. On 11-27-2015 at 2000 hours, had sent an email to WWU President Bruce Shepard admitting to be the person who made the Yik Yak post: “Yeah, and we can all dress up in white cloaks and we can have black people play the monks!” UPD was notified of email to President Shepard and AC Tanksley had contacted about coming in. was by himself in the lobby when I came to greet him. I introduced myself and led to the interview room off of the lobby. I asked for ID and he gave me his Washington driver’s license. I wrote down information and gave the license back to AC Tanksley came into the interview room and closed the door. I told that he was not arrested or detained and he was free to leave at any time. AC Tanksley and I sat in chairs close to the south wall and sat in a chair closer to the north wall. A few feet to left was the closed but unsecured door from the interview room into the lobby. The lobby doors were unlocked for those exiting said he understood he was free to leave. I explained to that I was going to advise him of his Miranda rights. I told that he was not a suspect in this case but because he made some posts on Yik Yak and this is a criminal investigation I would advise him of his rights. I read t the Miranda warning on the WWU Police Consitutional Rights Advisement form. said he understood and would speak with us. I asked if he knew V-1/ Belina SEARE or C-2/ Abigail RAMOS and said he only knew from reading on Yik Yak that SEARE was the Associated Students (AS) President. also said he was not a user on other social media other than Yik Yak and that he deleted Yik Yak from his phone after reading President Shepard’s email about this case. I asked what led him to email President Shepard and he said he read the email that President Shepard sent out and recognized his post in the President’s email. said he knew he didn’t make any threats but he felt bad for what he posted and wanted to admit to what he wrote. said he didn’t email the President because he felt like he was going to get caught but that he wanted to make things right. I asked what led him to post on Yik Yak about SEARE. said his post about monks wasn’t about SEARE or anyone else in particular. said he was being sarcastic and commenting about the post that was made about the “hanging nooses from trees” post. I asked if he wanted anyone to feel threatened by his post and he said “Not at all.” I asked what the significance of Vikings and Monks are and he said he didn’t know, he’s a Chemistry major, doesn’t know the history of Vikings and Monks. said his post was just playing off of the prior post. AC Tanksley clarified with that was in his dorm on his smartphone when he made the post. wasn’t sure if his phone was on the WWU wifi network when he made the post. said the wifi Reporting Officer

Approved By:

LIPSON, WOLF

CARPENTER, RON

Signatures

Approval Date and Time

Print Date and Time

12/01/2015 08:58 Printed By

12/23/2015 10:31 CARPENTER, RON

Page No.

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Western Washington University Police Department Follow Up Case Report 2001 Bill McDonald Parkway, Bellingham, WA, 98225-9130

PHONE: 360.650.3555 FAX: 360.650.3367 [email protected]

Case No.

15-0701 Location of Occurrence / Address

OFF CAMPUS SOUTH/2401 Taylor Ave. #303, Bellingham/Bellingham, 98225 CODE SECTION

CRIME DESCRIPTION

9A.36.080

Malicious Harassment

Status:

Cad No.

Date and Time Reported

15-11-23-018356

11/23/2015 16:31

CLASSIFICATION

HARASS

Follow up Date:

Time From:

Time To:

11/29/2015

00:00

00:00

sometimes acts “weird” and doesn’t work. I asked if he knew who made the nooses from trees post and he said he didn’t. I asked if he made any post or comment about “Lynching” or “Lynch her” and said he didn’t and he doesn’t know who made that post or comment. I asked if he knew the identities of any of the Yik Yak users involved in the threads that he posted on and said no and that everyone is anonymous on Yik Yak. I asked if he had posted specifically about SEARE or the WWU Associated Students. said he made a post on Yik Yak about the WWU mascot possibly being changed and he didn’t want that. said he read on Yik Yak that people were posting and commenting that SEARE was using the term “whitey” to reference white people. said he made a post asking if it was then OK to use the term “blackie” to address black people. said he wrote that post because he felt it was wrong for SEARE to use the term “whitey.” I asked if he ever posted on the website 4CHAN. said he had viewed 4CHAN recently but never made any posts or comments. AC Tanksley asked if he had ever made any posts or comments of a sexually violent nature about SEARE or RAMOS and said no. I aske if he left any threatening voicemail messages with the WWU Equal Opportunity Office on Nov. 23, 2015, and said no. I asked if he emailed a white supremacist letter to WWU Faculty around Nov. 25, 2015 and he said no. I asked if he has ever been involved with any white supremacist groups and he said no and he would never associate himself with such groups. said he has had friends of color in the past and he truly wants to open his outlook on life to be more open to others. said he grew up in eastern Washington where things are very different than Bellingham and far more conservative. said that he comes from a background where the word “nigger” is used quite a bit. admitted to saying and posting online that word in the past. aid that this experience has been an eye opener for him and that he doesn’t want to add to the hate that’s out there or say things that may lead to threats being made against someone. that we would not call his parents as he is over asked about if his name will be made public. I told 18. AC Tanksley told that his name and this report could be disclosed following a public records request. was worried about that. AC Tanksley told that if he ever gets threatened that should contact the UPD immediately. AC Tanksley also suggested to that he tell his parents what is happening here at WWU. said he will tell them soon. AC Tanksley asked if he has used the WWU health or counseling centers and said he had not.

I reminded that he is not a suspect in this case but that WWU Student Judicial would probably be contacting him. asked about what that would involve and AC Tanksley and I explained the process to

Reporting Officer

Approved By:

LIPSON, WOLF

CARPENTER, RON

Signatures

Approval Date and Time

Print Date and Time

12/01/2015 08:58 Printed By

12/23/2015 10:31 CARPENTER, RON

Page No.

2 of 3

Western Washington University Police Department Follow Up Case Report 2001 Bill McDonald Parkway, Bellingham, WA, 98225-9130

PHONE: 360.650.3555 FAX: 360.650.3367 [email protected]

Case No.

15-0701 Location of Occurrence / Address

OFF CAMPUS SOUTH/2401 Taylor Ave. #303, Bellingham/Bellingham, 98225 CODE SECTION

CRIME DESCRIPTION

9A.36.080

Malicious Harassment

Status:

Cad No.

Date and Time Reported

15-11-23-018356

11/23/2015 16:31

CLASSIFICATION

HARASS

Follow up Date:

Time From:

Time To:

11/29/2015

00:00

00:00

I asked if he wanted to complete a voluntary written statement and he agreed to do that. wrote out the statement and I attached it to this report. I asked if he would be open to voluntarily writing SEARE an apology letter. was eager to do that. I gav a Title IX card with my email written on it. and I ended our contact at about 1915 hours. At 1950 hours, I received an email from with the apology letter in the email. I cut and pasted the letter into a Word document and printed out the email and Word document. I emailed that, to preserve the privacy of his email address, the Word document would be sent to SEARE, not his original email. During our time together, was cooperative, very sincere and emotional. was clearly upset at his involvement in this case. It should be noted that

does not want his personal information to be disclosed.

I recommend this case be sent to Student Judicial. I recommend that the printout of should be sent to SEARE.

Reporting Officer

Approved By:

LIPSON, WOLF

CARPENTER, RON

Signatures

apology letter

Approval Date and Time

Print Date and Time

12/01/2015 08:58 Printed By

12/23/2015 10:31 CARPENTER, RON

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