Zayden Leonard, a 21-year-old student at Mississippi State University, is considering legal action after campus police handcuffed and detained him over a bomb threat allegation, his attorney says, that was false.
The incident involving Leonard is the latest in a series of events where Black students have disputed police allegations and force used against them on college campuses.
According to Atlanta Black Star, the dispute began on August 26 when Leonard called Mississippi State’s financial aid office about an academic scholarship he needed for the fall semester. Civil rights attorney Harry Daniels said Leonard, a junior at the university, believed the employee he spoke with had given him incorrect information, asked to speak with someone else, and said he was heading to the office to resolve the issue in person.
Daniels said the Mississippi State student, an MSU junior, later sat in the financial aid office waiting for assistance when at least six campus police officers approached him, ordered him to stand and placed him in handcuffs. He was detained for less than an hour.
Officers later told Leonard that a financial aid employee had reported he had threatened to blow up the office, Daniels said. Leonard denies making any threat.
Leonard has not been charged with a crime and Daniels also said he has not faced disciplinary action from the university. The attorney described the student as “shell-shocked” by the encounter and said his legal team is investigating what happened and considering possible legal action, including a civil lawsuit.
Mississippi State University Public Affairs Director Sid Salter said the university has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment and follows safety and reporting procedures when potential threats involving campus personnel or operations are reported.
Salter said the university cooperates with law enforcement while making support services available to students. The school declined to provide further details, citing ongoing legal and disciplinary processes.
Daniels said the accusation placed Leonard in a potentially dangerous situation and argued that people who use law enforcement to exert power should be held accountable. Leonard’s legal team is now determining its next steps as it weighs whether to take the dispute to court.
