(CN) - A Long Island college has sued a phone company to identify the person behind seven calls threatening "shootings on campus and imminent violence."
N.Y. College of Health Professions and its receptionist Gerilee Riedman sued Cablevision Systems Corp. and its division Optimum Lightpath, in Nassau County Supreme Court.
"During the past two weeks, an unknown person has placed approximately seven phone calls to the college during which the caller made death threats and terroristic threats against the college's personnel and students," the petition states. "The caller threatened shootings on campus and imminent violence."
Riedman, the receptionist, says she answered several threatening calls as recently as this week. The complaint was filed Tuesday.
Police made two visits to the school after the calls were reported, according to the petition.
But the college says it needs the anonymous caller's identity to protect its employees, students and patients.
It claims it "is gravely concerned that, in the wake of multiple shootings on college campuses in recent weeks, the unknown person who made the death threats will, at any time, commit acts of physical violence against the college's employees, students, patient and/or visitors."
Earlier this month, an expelled student opened fire at a Christian college in Oakland, Calif., killing seven people and wounding three others. Another shooting at the University of Southern California left two graduate students dead Wednesday.
The attacks are the latest in a long string of school shootings that have killed 170 people since 2000.
The college says Cablevision refused to disclose the caller's identity without a court order.
It wants Cablevision to produce the phone records.
It is represented by Steven Storch with Storch Amini & Munves in Manhattan.
"The college takes these things very seriously and it's their intention to fully investigate them, given the events that have happened around the country lately," Storch told Courthouse News in an interview. "The college will not tolerate this type of threats."
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