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Man Faces Charges After Allegedly Threatening Professor Over Anti-Trump Posts

UPDATE 6/4/21: The District Attorney tells WBZ Prinn was charged with one count of threat to commit a crime. The case was dismissed after a three month continuance.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that Prinn was also charged with disturbing the peace. 

BRIDGEWATER (CBS) -- A man is facing charges after allegedly threatening a Bridgewater State University professor.

It began last September when Professor Garrett Nichols wrote inflammatory social media posts about President Trump.

That's when Matthew Prinn allegedly left Nichols a voicemail saying, "Let's see how tough you are. I'm coming for you..."

Prinn was charged with a misdemeanor of threatening to commit a crime. A clerk magistrate's hearing was held Friday.

His defense attorney Bob Jubinville said, "Whether you're for Trump or against Trump, that kind of rhetoric at a college, from a professor, there's no place for that in Massachusetts."

Some students also feel Nichols stepped over the line.

"I personally feel like as an educator your job is to teach someone both sides of the story so you can't influence them with how you think," one student said.

The school released a statement saying, "Bridgewater State University is committed to protecting the free speech rights of members of our campus community. We trust that our legal system will reach a just resolution of this case."

According to police, Prinn was just one of the threats that came to the university over what Nichols posted.

At last check, Nichols was still a professor at Bridgewater State and Prinn had been fired from his job.

 

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