Mastodon

Powdery substance at Christian Broadcasting Network found harmless

(RNS) Christian Broadcasting Network staffers were evacuated from their Virginia Beach, Va., office Wednesday (July 1) after mailroom employees opened a piece of mail containing a powdery substance.

Three employees and a postal investigator were exposed to the substance, which turned out to be harmless, said CBN spokesman Chris Roslan.

“Several of the people said they developed minor rashes but the authorities don’t believe those are related to whatever the powdery substance was,” he said Thursday. “They were placed under a voluntary medical watch yesterday and nothing developed and the power turned out to be not a harmful substance.”


The substance was determined to be whey powder, a protein that is used to aid bodybuilding.

The CBN building was closed Wednesday after the incident but reopened on Thursday, Roslan said.

“We took all necessary precautions and followed the authorities’ advice and then it turned out to be a hoax,” he said.

No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today