Student charged in U-of-I threats undergoes psychiatric evaluation

Iowa’s Governor has used a national stage to The University of Iowa dental student who is accused of sending racist threats is no longer in jail. 23-year-old Tarsha Claiborne was transferred Tuesday to the psychiatric ward at the U-of-I Hospitals. She’ll undergo tests for up to 30 days and then will either have to post 53-thousand dollars bond or go back to jail. Early tests indicate she’s suffering from severe depression. Johnson County Attorney Patrick White says a doctor evaluated Claiborne, and determined she was suffering from a “severe depressive disorder” which was getting worse. White says prosecutors and defense attorneys are now waiting for a report on Claiborne’s mental state before deciding how to proceed.Claiborne’s mother says her daughter was deeply affected by her father’s death last year after a long illness.