EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — A student at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville who claimed to be a victim of hate crimes on campus is now facing charges.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Kaliyeha A. Clark-Mabins with filing a false police report resulting in three counts of disorderly conduct, which is a felony.
The charges against Clark-Mabins stem from a report SIUE police received on Sunday, Jan. 23. It stated that a handwritten note was posted on a dorm room door in Woodland Residence Hall, along with an alleged anonymous text message thread from fall 2021 containing threatening and racially hostile content.
School administrators immediately sent out a campus-wide email about the alleged incident. In response, students organized a demonstration where they chanted and held up posters.
In one video, students can be seen facing the school’s chancellor and other staff.
Following the police department's investigation, the two suspects originally named in the incident have been cleared of any involvement, according to school officials.
"This incident should remind individuals how important it is to preserve and protect due process and fairness in procedure and communication," SIUE Police Chief Kevin Schmoll added in a news release. "The SIUE Police Department is committed to protecting all members of our community. I appreciate the work of our detectives and assisting agencies in finding a resolution."