A 19-year-old Miami University student is facing a felony charge after a Yik Yak post referred to an anti-abortion information table on campus. The Oct. 28 post asked, “How many dining dollars to kirk the anti-abortion table in Armstrong,” according to court documents.
The student was jailed, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. She faces a felony charge. The word “kirk” appears to be a euphemism for killing.
The post referred to an anti-abortion information table in Armstrong Student Center. It appeared in the Miami University group on Yik Yak.
How the Threat Reached the FBI
A member of the Miami University College Republicans submitted a tip to the FBI, and authorities reported the incident to the bureau, per the same court filings.
The Enquirer's report notes it reached out to the student's attorney for comment but had not immediately received a response.
Bond, Restrictions, and an Upcoming Hearing
The student is being held on $170,000 bond. As of Nov. 4, she remained in the Butler County Jail; if she posts bond, she will be required to wear an ankle monitor. A magistrate also ordered her to stay away from five people and barred her from using social media. She was scheduled to appear in court again.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2909.23, a violation involving a terroristic threat is classified as a felony of the third degree, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, per the statute. Each misdemeanor charge she faces carries a maximum sentence of 180 days.
Student Conduct Rules
The woman is a Miami University student. The university added that all students are afforded due process rights through its Code of Student Conduct.
That conduct code allows the university to investigate and adjudicate reported behavior on social media, and it permits conduct proceedings to continue even if criminal or civil cases are pending or dismissed, according to the Miami University Code of Student Conduct. The university determines responsibility in such cases using a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, the same policy states.
This is not the first time a Miami University student has faced arrest over an alleged online threat tied to campus safety concerns. In 2022, student Paul James Walker Jr. was accused of posting that he would “go on a parent shooting spree” during Family Weekend, according to fox19.com. Walker's bond conditions also barred him from social media and required electronic monitoring, though his bond was set at $1,000 and his case was bound over to a grand jury, according to the clerk's office cited by cleveland19.com.
