A student at Bowling Green State University suspected she saw on Sunday a Ku Klux Klan rally taking place on campus. It turned out to be covered lab equipment.
The student was walking through campus and saw what looked like a white sheet through a window. She quickly took video footage and sounded the alarm on Twitter, messaging the university president about the issue.
There's been an ACTIVE KKK group in Bowling Green, OH since 1922. @bgsu @PresidentMazey soo, how does this promote diversity &a inclusion?? pic.twitter.com/bmoA66Rt0O
— A. 💁🏾 (@autumpatrice) January 22, 2017
After the student's tweet went out, Bowling Green did some light detective work to discover the true identity of the purported Klansman. The university's president, Mary Ellen Mazey, tweeted at the student the school's findings.
Thanks for sharing, @autumpatrice. We looked into this. We discovered it's a cover on a piece of lab equipment. pic.twitter.com/plkQTBr9HC
— Mary Ellen Mazey (@PresidentMazey) January 23, 2017
The student was relieved, but remained convinced that the white supremacist group was active at Bowling Green.
@PresidentMazey Thnk u so much for clarifying what this was! even tho the hate group still exists in BG I'm glad this WASN'T what I thought!
— A. 💁🏾 (@autumpatrice) January 23, 2017
It did not take long before the incident spread throughout social media, causing many mocking tweets to be sent back to the assuming student.
Were you ever so woke that you mistook a projector with a sheet thrown over it for a KKK rally? pic.twitter.com/tf6rXDj1TQ
— neontaster (@neontaster) January 24, 2017
@neontaster Maybe it's Pres. Bush in his inaugural poncho. Oh, scary. pic.twitter.com/nNC4wch5Jc
— Great Plains Girl (@LiberalsRAngry) January 24, 2017
I would laugh but these people will be preparing my coffee incorrectly in a few years. https://t.co/nCwfZruFcx
— Liars Never Win (@liars_never_win) January 24, 2017
The KKK is estimated to currently have around 5,000 to 8,000 members, split between dozens of organizations that use the Klan name throughout the United States. It is unclear how many hold rallies in university laboratories.