The University of Utah’s Office of the Dean of Students has dismissed an “accountability” inquiry into student Rylie Barnes’ social media posts.

After receiving clarification from Riley Beesley’s representative on Thursday, Sept. 17, the dean’s office also has dismissed an accountability inquiry into Beesley’s social media posts.

Neither student faced expulsion for their social media posts. Normally, student discipline is a private process. The university is only discussing these cases because the students themselves decided to go public.

The University of Utah is required to investigate allegations of threatening or harassing behavior—even in online or social media posts. Over the past week, the dean’s office received anonymous complaints about Barnes and Beesley alleging that their social media posts amounted to doxxing, or electronic harassment, against other students. The letters sent this week to Barnes and Beesley were routine notifications of the claims and sought to set up meetings with staff to discuss the allegations.

As at all U.S. universities, an office, usually the Dean of Students, is responsible for investigating perceived and real threats made by and directed at students. Federal laws require universities to investigate and address sexual misconduct (Title IX) or racial discrimination (Title VI). As there are no federal laws which require the university to address doxxing or electronic harassment, the university follows both state law governing electronic harassment, and similar guidelines in the policy on student rights and responsibilities (6-400).

Utah law prohibits communication that:

“makes contact by means of electronic communication and insults, taunts, or challenges the recipient of the communication or any person at the receiving location in a manner likely to provoke a violent or disorderly response,” or, “makes contact by means of electronic communication and threatens to inflict injury, physical harm, or damage to any person or the property of any person.”

University regulations prohibit:

“threatening, endangering, or damaging the health or safety of any member of the university community or any other person. These acts include, but are not limited to, physical assault, true threats, intimidation, and coercion, whether the student engages in the act in person or electronically, such as through e-mail, text message, or social media.”

In these cases, Dean of Students Jason Ramirez has concluded there is insufficient evidence to move forward.

The university’s goal is to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for students. When students violate the rights of other students, particularly when those actions violate state or federal law, we address the behaviors to preserve and protect the learning environment. Our model leads with education, so when we address inappropriate behaviors, we attempt, whenever possible, to do this through education rather than punitive action.

Of note, in 2025-2026, the Office of the Dean of Students managed more than 5,000 cases of support and accountability. “Accountability” cases over the past three years total:

• 2024-25—2,920
• 2025-26—3,170
• 2026-27—527

Going forward, the dean’s office will conduct a routine review of procedures and staff training to ensure all office staff have a firm understanding of the important boundaries between freedom of speech and actionable misconduct, as well as the process for investigations and timing of communications.