Spokane Police, FBI now investigating Gonzaga University ‘Zoom-bombing’
SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are now investigating the “Zoom-bombing” of a Gonzaga University Black Student Union (BSU) virtual call.
On Sunday, students of the BSU held a Zoom call to talk about the election, when several people joined the call with offensive screen names and began yelling racial and homophobic slurs and sharing pornography on their screens.
RELATED: Members of Gonzaga’s Black Student Union react to racial slurs during Zoom meeting
A joint letter from Gonzaga’s leadership says their IT department were able to capture data of the Zoom-bombing, identifying IP addresses from the people who hijacked the call — they found the sources of the IP addresses were both domestic and international.
They also noted that other universities around the U.S. have also had similar Zoom-bombings.
According to the university, the Spokane Police Department’s criminal investigation unit and the FBI are now involved in the investigation.
“We are deeply disheartened that we must identify ways to maintain safety and security in virtual meeting experiences, but that is a clear reality,” the letter reads. “Students, clubs and organizations, and employees have been alerted to the safety features available through Zoom, as well as guidance on how to make meetings private.”
The university has also recently hired a therapist from the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community to help BSU students.
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