U.S. News

Brandeis University closes campus after emailed threats

Key Points
  • Brandeis University closes its campus after the liberal arts school received emailed threats.
  • First-year students are scheduled to arrive Sunday.
  • It says campus buildings are being checked to assure that all community members have left.
The Administration building, Brandeis University in Waltham, Boston, Massachusetts.
John Edward Linden | Getty Images

Brandeis University closed its campus Wednesday after the liberal arts school received emailed threats.

First-year students are scheduled to arrive Sunday to begin orientation for the 2017-18 school year.

The university made the announcement on Twitter account and website, saying the Waltham, Massachusetts, campus will be closed for the day to all faculty and nonessential personnel. Brandeis posted an update in the afternoon, saying students on campus were safe and a secured location.

It said campus buildings were being checked to assure that all community members have left. Brandeis promised to continue to post updates online regarding the campus' status.

"In light of emailed threats received this morning and with an abundance of caution, we have determined to close the Brandeis campus to all faculty and non-essential personnel until public safety personnel can assure our community that there is no longer a threat," Brandeis University said on its website.

@BrandeisU tweet.

Brandeis University's campus

A Google Earth map of Brandeis University campus. The campus was closed today due to an internet threat. Police are investigating.
Source: Google Maps

The school, which is named after Louis Brandeis, the first American-Jewish justice on the Supreme Court, had more than 5,600 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2015, according to its website.

The website says the institution is "animated by a set of values that are rooted in Jewish history and experience," and says it is "one of the few universities in America with inclusivity as a founding principle."

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