The Hanover Police Department on Friday named Anthony Lightfoot '92 a suspect in the case of a hate letter sent to a member of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association.
Although Lightfoot has not been formally charged or arrested, he remains in state custody awaiting arraignment in the U.S. District Court in Concord.
"There are charges pending against Mr. Lightfoot at both the federal and state levels," a Hanover Police press release stated.
The threatening letter was sent to Morris Whitaker '74, the treasurer of the College's Black Alumni Association, in December. Hanover Police Sgt. Frank Moran said last term the letter had a White River Junction, Vt., postmark and a bogus return address.
Hanover Police would not release the contents of the letter.
Both Grafton County Attorney Ken Anderson and the head of the New Hampshire attorney general's office criminal division told the Valley News on Friday they did not know of any state charges against Lightfoot.
But FBI Special Agent Peter Ginieres told the Valley News in a case concerning violations of both federal and state laws, federal charges tend to take precedence.
Ginieres told the Associated Press that since the letter was sent through the mail, charges against Lightfoot, who is African-American, would entail a federal offense of issuing threatening communications.
According to a statement released late Friday afternoon by Dean of the College Lee Pelton, Pelton had received information last week about "the investigation into the cases of anonymous letters containing explicit threats of physical harm and intimidation."
Based on that information, Pelton temporarily suspended a Dartmouth undergraduate, who will not be allowed on campus "while under this suspension and a conduct case is pending," the release stated.
Although the statement does not reveal any names, College Spokesman Alex Huppe confirmed the statement refers to Lightfoot.
According to the Valley News, Lightfoot was scheduled to graduate this spring. His mother told the Valley News that he previously left the College for two-and-a-half years to serve in the Army.
Lightfoot is a columnist for The Dartmouth Review, the off-campus conservative weekly.
Last term the College also experienced other prejudicial incidents.
A black student received a letter allegedly containing racial slurs, postmarked from White River Junction and signed "Jim Crow." So-called Jim Crow laws were enacted in the United States after the Civil War to segregate blacks.
Another black student reported racial slurs scrawled on the message board of the door to his room.
In addition, the Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Organization received a derogatory flier in its Hinman Box. The flier advertised a discussion titled "Let's Talk About Faggots" that never took place.
Hanover police told the Valley News that they have not determined any connection between the different incidents.
