WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Students at Gallaudet University remained barricaded inside one of the main campus buildings Friday, protesting the school's presidential selection and what students call a pattern of prejudice at the largely deaf institution.Students said campus police on Friday morning forced their way into the Hall Memorial Building, shoving and elbowing students and pepper spraying some.
The school denied use of pepper spray and said authorities needed to rush in because of a bomb threat, though there turned out to be no bomb.
Ryan Commerson, a student and leader of the protests, said the campus police apparently did not know sign language and could not communicate their concerns to students as they pushed their way in.
A lack of knowledge of sign language by those charged with protecting the students has historically caused troubles at the university not far from the U.S. Capitol, but the school has previously said it took steps to address that.
Commerson said one student went to doctors on campus Friday after being sprayed because he had a burning sensation on his neck.
But Gallaudet University spokeswoman Mercy Coogan told CNN she checked with the head of security and was told that no pepper spray or Mace had been used and that no one was hurt.
University officials said the students were illegally occupying the building, and that authorities had the right to enter.
Coogan did not say how the bomb threat came in. Campus police called D.C. Metro police to the school, she said, but only campus police entered the building, and D.C. police soon left.
After the incident, the protests were calm. More than 200 people were inside the building taking part in the protests -- including some faculty.
