Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 30, 1993                   TAG: 9310300200
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON and LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CADET SAYS RACE THREAT WAS HOAX

A state police and FBI investigation into the charges was wrapped up Friday.

A short statement from state police Friday night deemed the allegation "unfounded."

After extensive interviews with special agents, the cadet said he never intended the investigation to progress as far as it did, the statement said.

Maj. Gen. John Knapp, VMI's superintendent, said Friday night that he had not had an opportunity to digest the police findings.

He would not comment when asked if the cadet involved would be disciplined, but he did say he was pleased the incident did not appear to be racially motivated.

"I'm sorry I can't give you any more than that," he told a reporter.

State police also did not discuss whether they would take action against the cadet, whose identity has not been released.

Pete Lefresne, a spokesman for VMI's athletic department, told The Associated Press on Friday night that the cadet who made the complaint "is still in school, as far as I know."

A cadet who requested that his name not be used said Friday that the VMI Corps of Cadets had condemned the threat letters before it was known they were a hoax. But hoax or not, he said, "it leaves us with a scar."

The cadet involved in the incident is "someone who would pull back the sheets and make the corps own up to racism," he said. "It's possible he wanted to really illustrate a problem. A good number of people want to illustrate that there is racism here. A lot of people want to look the other way. But some people want to make this place own up to the fact that racism is here."

Eric Sisler, Rockbridge County's commonwealth's attorney, called for the investigation Oct. 6.

Reached Friday night, Sisler said he was informed of the decision Friday afternoon and had no comment on the announcement.

"I might have something to say at the first of the week . . . I just don't know right now," Sisler said.

The cadet told VMI officials earlier this month that he had received three short letters in the barracks - the third of which contained racial epithets and more explicit language than the first two.

The notes prompted Knapp to issue a statement to the school's 1,200 cadets. "With your help and with the moral certainty that we are right, we will root out this cancer," Knapp said.

Since its integration 25 years ago, VMI has not experienced any serious racial problems, school officials said.

Currently, 7.5 percent of the cadets are black and 5.5 percent are members of other minority races.

Last month a black cadet left VMI after he was beaten. Knapp has said previously that it was unclear whether the assault was racially motivated.

The Associated Press provided information for this story.