TCF previously reported that a student at Central Connecticut State University had been expelled for falsely claiming to be a victim of hate–in reality, the student wrote the threatening letters to herself. Now, The Huffington Post has more details:
In early March, Pennell reported that she had begun receiving anti-gay notes under her door. Mark McLaughlin, a spokesman for CCSU, reported at that time that the notes contained homophobic slurs and told the two students — Pennell and her LGBT roommate — to “die.”
The school responded seriously to the alleged harassment, holding a “Solidarity Rally” on March 13, where Pennell spoke. Around 300 students were in attendance.
“Central is my home just like it is every one of yours, and I’m proud to call it m home,” Pennell said to the audience. “I stand here today speaking to the person responsible for this, and all I have to say is I’m not going to be run out of my home and I will not be intimidated by hate.”
At the rally CCSU President Jack Miller encouraged students to speak up if they knew the person behind the hate letters, and stated that these sort of crimes will not be tolerated.
But police cameras soon determined that Pennell was writing the letters:
On April 5, police removed the initial camera telling Pennell that it needed repair. About an hour later, Pennell reported that another note was slipped under her door. While two officers took her complaint, Dercole inspected the second camera, which contained footage of Pennell putting the note under her own door.
A few days later the police confronted her. After a few attempts to persuade them of her innocence, she admitted to the crime.
Pennell reported that she created the scam because she wanted her roommate to spend more time with her, and that felt she was losing her close friends and her girlfriend.
Pennell has been suspended from attending any public school in Connecticut for the next five years.
Read about other examples of students faking bias incidents here and here.
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