The University of Colorado at Boulder is warning students that recent allegations of false police reports are unjustly targeting people of color, creating a climate of fear on campus.
Two incidents have university officials concerned. One involved a CU student accused by police of falsely claiming she was assaulted by a black man near the university campus. The other involves a non-student who allegedly made a false report saying he was attacked and robbed by a Hispanic man.
Bronson Hilliard, spokesman for the university says the reports are disturbing. "They have a very negative effect on communities of people of color in our campus community. So we thought it was important to push out a statement from our chancellor saying: just don’t do this, don’t make false reports."
False reporting is a misdemeanor in Colorado punishable by up to 6 months in jail, and a $750 fine. Hilliard says a letter to students emphasized the need to respect diversity on campus.
