Alongside a couple of other (previously unnamed) U.S. universities,  Fordham  received “threatening emails containing similar language” early in the morning, of Jan. 22, according to an email sent out by Robert Fitzer, associate vice president of Public Safety, to the whole Fordham community at 11:09 a.m. on Thursday morning.

In the email to the Fordham community, Fitzer said that “the emails condemn a long list of racial and religious groups,” as well as “threaten specific buildings on each campus.” Walsh Library and Freeman Hall, both academic buildings at Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus, were named as targets  of  these  threats.

He also said that “the NYPD [New York Police Department] Emergency Services Unit [ESU] conducted a thorough search of the interior and exterior of Walsh and Freeman” before either building opened this morning, and that they “found no evidence and determined there  was  no  immediate  threat.”

Fitzer noted that there would be heightened security on the campus Thursday, including the presence of NYPD officers, “out of an abundance of caution.” He also advised the Fordham community to call 911 or contact Fordham Public Safety at 718-817-2222 if they see  anything  suspicious. 

In another email that was later forwarded to The Fordham Ram, Fitzer elaborated on the incident.

“We believe the threat was a hoax or swatting, similar to those that took place in September 2025. A few senior leaders at Fordham received the emails alerting us to a potential bomb threat, as did individuals at other universities including NYU and Villanova,” Fitzer said. “Fordham will have additional resources on campus while this investigation continues and our security team will be on high-alert to ensure that anyone who attempts to enter campus has proper identification and a purpose to be here.”