Florida college student expelled over Yik Yak post
LatestIn the latest instance of how an errant post on social media can instantly destroy your life, a student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton has been expelled over a Yik Yak post, WPTV’s Charles Keegan reports.
Emeil Stewart, an 18-year-old neurology major from Port Charlotte, Fla., posted a message the station describes as “a threat to open fire on the campus breezeway, one of the main areas of campus where students and professors walk to get to their classes and restaurants.”
But when Stewart noticed the post was getting a lot of attention, he says he called police to explain the situation, saying he had heard someone else make a threat. Stewart was never arrested and no weapons were found, Keegan writes.
“Bottom line is that to understand this was not a serious threat and it was an 18-year-old mistake,” FAU’s Police Chief said according to Keegan.
FAU’s University Press tweeted that Stewart was no longer enrolled at FAU. The school’s vice president of student affairs told Keegan Stewart faces arrest if he tries to return to campus.
While he assumed he would end up getting kicked out, Stewart says he is being unfairly scapegoated.
“To twist my story and say I am some crazy lunatic about to light them up… that was wrong,” he said, adding, “They have to come up with something.”
Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.