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Kissie Ram has been identified as the 18-year-old Drake University freshman student who was charged with making false reports to law enforcement after alleged racist notes were found on campus last month.
According to the Des Moines police department, Ram was charged with a misdemeanor summons on Monday, December 3. However, she was not immediately booked into jail. Police say that if Ram is found guilty, she could face a fine and prison for up to a year.
Over the course of the last few months, four racists notes were found on campus and have now been connected to Ram. One note, which was received by freshman Keith Walker in November, is reportedly not connected to the other four notes.
Drake University spokesman Jarad Bernstein said that Ram will be subject to the university’s disciplinary process outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Additionally, Ram could potentially be expelled.
The charge relates to a report filed for a racist note found on campus Nov. 28, police said. In all, five racist notes were found on campus in November.
No charges will be filed in connection with the other notes, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek, Des Moines police spokesman. Drake officials said last week they were confident that four of the notes, now considered hoaxes, can be tied to the same student, identified Monday as Ram.
The first note was received in early November by freshman Keith Walker, who wrote about his experience in a social media post, and is not connected to the other four notes. Walker has not cooperated with the police investigation, Parizek said.
Drake officials last week said a student later identified as Ram admitted to writing one of the five notes found on campus. She also reported receiving at least one of the notes, officials said.
According to her social media profiles, Ram is a finance major at Drake University. At this time, Ram remains enrolled at the school, which is located in Des Moines, Iowa.
In a statement, Drake University president Marty Martin said that “as painful as these recent events have been, they have sparked important discussions and reflection and have brought us closer together as one Drake community.”
