CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — An Altoona woman is facing several charges for allegedly threatening two University of Northern Iowa staff members on anonymous social media accounts.
Court documents claim 25-year-old Aisha Nyala used a Facebook account under the name Sia Lee to harass and threaten two faculty members in late 2023.
Nyala faces the following charges for the posts:
- Harassment in the First Degree (five counts)
- Stalking By Use of a Technological Device (three counts)
The Courier reports that Nyala is no longer a student at UNI.
Posts on the anonymous account allegedly threatened to harm a "victim and her family" throughout November and December. The social posts frequently targeted the family members' personal appearances and personalities, often referencing alleged incidents at UNI that elicited "revenge" on Nyala's part.
The account also posted photos that included other members of the victims' family, often with "threatening messages" attached.
The Sia Lee Facebook page remains active, with a Nov. 7 post reading: "Mark my words ... I will make sure that what you've done comes back to haunt you."
A court document alleges that UNI officials received a student complaint in January 2024 about the targeted faculty members. The statement reads in part:
"I promise that I will get revenge on you if it's the last thing I do. That's something I'm willing to dedicate my entire life to ... my new studies will be how to successfully get revenge."
Nyala was later linked to the Facebook profile and its threatening posts through the account's email address. Investigators also subpoenaed CenturyLink for the IP address used to make the January student complaint, ultimately finding it to be the same as Nyala's home address.
One of the victims told investigators that she and Nyala had an "ongoing interaction" that had "escalated", but it's unclear what transpired between the two.
A no-contact order has been filed against Nyala for both victims.
Ayala has also been charged with Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon after a criminal complaint states she called the Iowa Board of Regents to say she had "filed a complaint ... two months ago, and if something was not done within the next 2 days, she was going to come to the University and shooting 'that woman in the head."