Campus Alert Archive
SCAD Atlanta

Anonymous Threat Clears SCAD Atlanta's Peachtree Flagship on a Spring Monday Morning

GAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

An anonymous bomb threat forced the evacuation of the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta's main building at 1600 Peachtree Street NW on May 23, 2011. Students, faculty, and staff received email and text message alerts through the SCAD Message System, and the Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad conducted a thorough inside-and-outside sweep of the building. No explosive device was found, and the building reopened by approximately 11 a.m. with classes resuming.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta
Private R2 · GA
SCAD Message System
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 reconstruction261 chars
SCAD Message System: The main building at 1600 Peachtree has been evacuated due to an anonymous bomb threat. Access to the building is restricted until it can be secured. Students, faculty and staff should not attempt to enter the building until further notice.

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

The SCAD Message System sent both email and text alerts; The Connector student newspaper reported the alert had been received by campus community members that morning
1600 Peachtree Street NW is a landmark Art Deco building in Midtown Atlanta that SCAD Atlanta uses as its main academic hub
The threat was described as anonymous with no further details about the threat's content published at the time
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction232 chars
SCAD Message System: All clear. The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad has completed a thorough search of 1600 Peachtree. No suspicious items were found. Students, faculty and staff may return to the building. Classes will resume.

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

The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad conducted both interior and exterior sweeps before the all-clear was issued
The relatively swift resolution -- under two hours -- was consistent with modern bomb squad protocols for credible but ultimately hoax threats at urban academic buildings
Context

Background

SCAD Atlanta is the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design, a private art and design university founded in 1978. The 1600 Peachtree Street NW building is a historic 1940s structure in Midtown Atlanta that serves as the campus's academic hub, housing studios, classrooms, and administrative offices. On the morning of May 23, 2011, an anonymous caller or written threat prompted the building's full evacuation. The SCAD Message System, which delivers simultaneous email and SMS notifications, was activated to alert the campus community. The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad responded and conducted a thorough sweep of the building's interior and exterior, finding nothing suspicious. The all-clear came by approximately 11 a.m. and classes resumed that day. The incident was one of several bomb threats at Atlanta-area educational institutions during the period, illustrating how art and design colleges face the same Clery-mandated emergency notification obligations as traditional universities despite their non-residential, urban campus models.
Outcome
No explosive device found. Building cleared and reopened by 11 a.m. Classes resumed normally.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Breaking: SCAD building evacuated, anonymous bomb threat (The Connector, SCAD student newspaper)
    scadconnector.com
  2. Student Paper
    News brief: SCAD Atlanta receives bomb threat (District, SCAD)
    scaddistrict.com
Tags
bomb-threathoaxprivate-r2art-schoolgeorgiaatlantaurban-campus2011Hoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion