Fan Arrested For “Terroristic Threats” After Posting Exodus Lyrics On Facebook

A fan of the thrash metal band Exodus has been arrested for charges of making "terroristic threats" for posting some of the band's lyrics from the song "Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)" on Facebook. According to local NBC affiliate 14News, 31-year-old James Evans was arrested on a warrant that alleging that Evans "threatened to kill students and or staff at school." The posted lyrics reportedly included: "Student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood splattered treatise of hate/Class dismissed is my hypothesis, gun fire ends in debate."

Mike Drake, the Muhlenberg County school resource officer, told 14News that multiple agencies received calls concerned about the post. Evan's family said that Evans is a music enthusiast and often posts videos and song lyrics on his Facebook page.

A press release by the band addressed the arrest, saying that while the group does not condone or endorse any of the things being said in their lyrics, they were "baffled" by the arrest in what seems to be a clear violation of Evan's First Amendment rights.

“The idea that an individual in this great country of ours could be arrested for simply posting lyrics to a song is something I never believed could happen in a free society,” stated Exodus guitarist Gary Holt. “James Evans was simply posting lyrics to a band he likes on Facebook, and he was locked up for it. The song ‘Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)’ was written as a view through the eyes of a madman and in no way endorses that kind of fucked up behavior. It was the Virginia Tech massacre perpetrated by Seung-Hui Cho that was the subject and inspiration to write the song, one in which we put the brakes on playing it live after the Sandy Hook shooting, as we did not want to seem insensitive.” – via Celebrity Access