A man who admitted to making hoax death threats at Montana State University is now facing a federal lawsuit. Two former students have sued Rex Wu, accusing him of orchestrating the hoax and framing them, thereby damaging their reputations. The lawsuit claims Wu and his friend, Alexandra Lin, used the false threats to gain an advantage in student elections.
Filed in federal court, the lawsuit outlines a conspiracy involving racially charged messages and hoax death threats aimed at amplifying Wu and Lin’s profiles. It alleges Wu framed fellow students Dylan Dean and Daria Danley, portraying them as racists to benefit his and Lin’s campaigns. The plaintiffs seek damages for defamation and emotional distress.
Although Lin is not named in the lawsuit due to the statute of limitations, it suggests she was aware of Wu’s actions. Lin called the lawsuit an “insult” to victims of stalking and harassment, praising the efforts of the FBI and Montana officials in handling the situation.
The university faced turmoil in 2021-2022 due to allegations that Asian-American and LGBTQ+ students were targeted. Lin, a member of the AGD sorority, became a central figure after incidents involving hate letters and threats. Wu allegedly created fake accounts to link Dean and Danley to the threats, causing significant reputational harm.
The lawsuit contends that the issues began when Danley rebuffed Lin’s sexual advances and use of preferred pronouns. Wu and Lin allegedly fabricated a campaign to bolster their student senate bids while attacking the university’s stance on minority issues.
Court documents claim Wu’s actions led to Dean losing various credentials and Danley being expelled from her sorority. Despite MSU dropping charges against Danley in February 2022, the lawsuit states this came after significant damage to her college experience.
Wu allegedly continued to orchestrate threats even after charges were dropped, including sending messages from a “DARIA_DD78” account. The threats garnered national media attention, which Wu reportedly bragged about in text messages to Dean. The MSU student newspaper incorrectly attributed threatening actions to Dean, further harming his reputation.
In April 2023, Lin tried to distance herself from the controversy, but both she and Wu continued to exploit racial threats for their campaigns. Wu was later caught when he admitted to the FBI in February 2025. He pleaded guilty to federal cyberstalking charges in July.
The court documents also reveal that the College Democrats of Montana expelled Lin for online stalking and other offenses, emphasizing their disassociation from her.
—
Read More Montana News
