Dear UNCG Community,
I wanted to personally update you on the incident that was reported yesterday as a “stabbing” at Graham Building. After a thorough investigation, we have determined that the information provided by the reporting party was false. There was not a stabbing at the building. The individual reporting this event, who is a student, will be charged with filing a false police report, disorderly conduct, bringing a weapon to campus, and obstruction. The investigation is ongoing.
We follow two key principles at UNCG in these kinds of situations.
First, we will always prioritize the safety of our students, faculty, staff and community by getting as much critical information communicated as quickly as possible whenever we have a report of a potentially dangerous situation. This is not just our legal obligation, but our responsibility to our campus community, our neighbors and our city. We will do this even though we know information often changes over time as these situations evolve. First and foremost, though, we must try to help ensure the safety of our campus.
Second, we will always start by believing the reports we get, and we will act on them under the assumption they are true. We can’t risk the safety of our community even if there is skepticism about a report. In the interest of law enforcement and investigative integrity, sometimes we can’t report everything we learn even after the fact. In every case, the top priority is always safety and ensuring people know that when they report a problem, we will respond.
I am confident in our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our campus. We are always working to improve our processes, communications and security measures. But we will sound the alarm when we feel we must, and we will always make the effort to communicate with transparency, urgency and as much clarity as possible to keep our community safe.
Thank you.
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
Chancellor