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Union Woman Charged with Making Twitter Threats Against Kean Students

Union Township (Union)

A former Kean University student has been charged with being responsible for a series of threatening Twitter posts targeting black students at the university last month, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

Kayla-Simone McKelvey, 24, of Union Township was charged via summons with a single count of third-degree creating a false public alarm.

An extensive joint investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Kean University Police Department revealed that McKelvey, a self-proclaimed activist, participated in a student rally regarding racial issues held on the evening of Tuesday, November 17, but left the rally midway through and walked to a computer station located in a university library.

Once there, McKelvey allegedly created an anonymous Twitter account and began posting racially charged threats of violence against black Kean students.

After making the posts, McKelvey immediately returned to the rally and attempted to spread awareness of the threats she allegedly had just fabricated.

The investigation further revealed that there was never any actual plan to harm students.

A first appearance in the case has been scheduled to be held Monday, December 14 in the Union County Jail courtroom.

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