Campus Alert Archive
Dillard

Black History Month's Final Friday: Dillard Closes Its Gentilly Campus the Day Before Mardi Gras

LAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

Dillard University in New Orleans closed its Gentilly campus on the morning of February 25, 2022, after receiving a bomb threat -- becoming the third Louisiana HBCU targeted that year, following Southern University and Xavier University. The NOPD, FBI, and ATF investigated and issued an all-clear the same day. The threat came on the final Friday of Black History Month, disrupting midterm exams which were rescheduled to after the Mardi Gras break.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Dillard University
Hbcu · LA
~1,400 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction399 chars
Dillard University has received a bomb threat. In the interest of student, faculty, and staff safety, the Gentilly campus is closed immediately. All persons on campus should leave now. Do not enter campus. Law enforcement including the New Orleans Police Department, the FBI, and the ATF are on scene and conducting an investigation. An all-clear will be issued when the campus has been deemed safe.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The campus closure came on the morning of February 25, 2022, the Friday before the Mardi Gras break, disrupting midterm exam schedules
Dillard was the third Louisiana HBCU to receive a bomb threat in 2022, after Southern University and Xavier University in New Orleans
Dillard University president Walter Kimbrough had been vocal in congressional testimony about the psychological and reputational toll of the wave of HBCU bomb threats
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction341 chars
Dillard University has received an all-clear from law enforcement. Authorities have determined there is no threat to our campus. The campus will remain closed for the rest of today. Midterm exams that were scheduled for today will be rescheduled after the Mardi Gras break. Thank you for your patience and continued support of our community.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The all-clear came the same afternoon after NOPD, FBI, and ATF cleared the campus
Despite the all-clear, Dillard kept the campus closed for the rest of February 25, effectively giving students an early start to the Mardi Gras holiday
Midterm exams were rescheduled for after Mardi Gras, creating an academic disruption that officials noted had no easy remedy
Context

Background

Dillard University, a private HBCU founded in 1869 in New Orleans' Gentilly neighborhood, received a bomb threat on the morning of February 25, 2022, closing its campus for the day. The threat arrived on the last Friday of Black History Month, just before the Mardi Gras holiday weekend. It made Dillard the third Louisiana HBCU to receive a bomb threat that year, following Southern University in Baton Rouge and Xavier University of Louisiana. At least two other HBCUs also received threats that same morning, bringing the 2022 total to more than 50 institutions nationwide. The New Orleans Police Department, the FBI, and the ATF investigated the campus; no explosives were found and an all-clear was issued that afternoon. Dillard president Walter Kimbrough subsequently testified before Congress, warning that HBCUs were more vulnerable to future attacks due to chronic underfunding of campus security and urging federal investment in infrastructure to match what predominantly white institutions already had. The midterm exam disruption -- with tests rescheduled after a Mardi Gras break that compressed an already tight academic calendar -- exemplified the cascading academic consequences of the wave.
Outcome
Campus closed for the day of February 25. NOPD, FBI, and ATF investigated and issued an all-clear. No explosive device found. Midterm exams were rescheduled after Mardi Gras break.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Dillard University is the latest Louisiana HBCU to receive bomb threat; 'all-clear' given (WWNO)
    wwno.org
  2. News
    Dillard University becomes third Louisiana HBCU to receive bomb threat (Louisiana Illuminator)
    lailluminator.com
  3. News
    New Orleans HBCU gets bomb threat, closes campus Friday before Mardi Gras (WWLTV)
    wwltv.com
  4. News
    HBCUs more vulnerable to future attacks after bomb threats, Dillard president tells Congress (WWNO)
    wwno.org
  5. national media
    HBCUs Were Targets of Bomb Threats Every Week During Black History Month 2022 (Bloomberg)
    bloomberg.com
Tags
bomb-threathbcuhbcu-bomb-wave-2022racially-motivatedcoordinated-threatlouisiananew-orleansblack-history-monthUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion