ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Students are protesting and demanding transparency from Turner Job Corps leaders after a student was found unconscious on campus Sunday, June 21.

The Albany Police Department said a 21-year-old man was found unconscious outside the campus cafeteria before 10 p.m. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Albany police investigating ‘suspicious’ death at Turner Job Corps <<

Albany Police Chief Michael Persley described the death as ‘suspicious’ but said investigators were not ruling out suicide. He said investigators are awaiting autopsy results.

Students said they built a memorial on Tuesday for the student, but leaders pushed back and tried to remove it.

“It was a combination of carpentry and landscaping students who put it up, and people have been going there to leave things,” one student said. “The staff are referring to it as vandalism, and they’re calling it unsightly.”

These students, who asked to remain anonymous, said they want to honor the victim without fear of disciplinary action.

“They’re saying, don’t post about it. Because they’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re going to get in trouble.”

Another student added.

“They are threatening to terminate us,” they said. “I’m honestly feeling horrified at what happened because no matter what the circumstances were, it shouldn’t have happened, and it should not have been allowed to happen.”

Students also protested Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. WALB obtained video of them calling for transparency about the death.

Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said an autopsy will begin Thursday, June 25.

WALB has reached out to the Turner Job Corps representative for comment. We are waiting to hear back.

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