Tarsha Claiborne, the 23-year-old University of Iowa dental student accused of sending racist e-mails and making a bomb threat to the school’s College of Dentistry, has been formally charged with two hate crimes.

Claiborne of Baton Rouge, La., was charged Friday with making threats in violation of individual rights and trespass in violation of individual rights. Earlier reports have indicated that Claiborne confessed to the crime.

Mark Schantz, university council for the University of Iowa, said that because of the emotional harm inflicted on people and the university, responsibility must be taken.

“Based on what we know at this point, we do believe that responsibility should be taken for what has occurred because there was substantial damage to people and institutions,” Schantz said.

Several students across the U of I campus agreed that Claiborne, who is African-American, should face some sort of punishment for her actions if she’s convicted.

“Ultimately, she has to take responsibility for her actions. It’s the right thing to do, and hopefully, she’s learned from it,” said Trenton Haman, senior in marketing.

Christina Franklin-Freeman, senior in psychology, said the hate-crime charges were appropriate.

“I think it was the right thing to charge her with a hate crime because it shows that a hate crime can transcend race and that anyone is capable of committing unjust and unfair acts and thus adds validation to hate-crime legislation,” she said.

One student questioned the hate-crime charges that have been brought against Claiborne.

“I don’t know the actual legal definition of a hate crime, [but] because it was against her own race, because she was playing the role of a person that she wasn’t … it kind of makes things crazy,” said Dennis Brown, U of I graduate in marketing. “But as far as her getting punished, I mean I definitely believe that she should be punished. I don’t know necessarily if she should be charged with a hate crime.”

Claiborne, a second-year dentistry student, was arrested April 20. The first racist e-mail was sent March 28 to David Johnson, dean of the College of Dentistry, and several faculty members. A second e-mail was sent two days later to eight minority dental students, threatening violence.

Following the e-mails, a bowl of spaghetti and red food coloring was found April 4 outside the door of a minority student’s off-campus apartment. The bowl was accompanied by a handwritten note stating that the spaghetti represented “dead black man’s brains.”

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.