Armed KKK scare at Indiana college turns out to be Dominican monk (PHOTO)

Students at Indiana University can rest easy in the knowledge that the whip brandishing Klansman said to be stalking the halls of their college was actually just a Dominican friar out for an innocent stroll.

A media intern, who also acts as an advisor to residents at the university in Bloomington, caused a stir on campus after he reportedly sent out a KKK warning message on behalf of the local residents’ center.

It came following chatter about a mysterious man seen on campus dressed in a hooded gown.

“There’s someone walking around campus in a KKK outfit holding a whip. This has already been reported to the IUPD, but because the person is protected under the First Amendment rights, IUPD cannot remove the person unless an act of violence is committed,” the message warned, according to The Tab.

“Please PLEASE PLEASE be careful out there tonight, always be with someone and if you have no dire reason to be out of the building, I would recommend staying indoors if you’re alone.”

The alert caused panic in some students, no doubt concerned about what a Klan member was doing walking around the university so brazenly...  

...although others took it in a more lighthearted fashion.

Hilariously, the man dressed in an all white robe was actually a priest by the name of Father Jude McPeak, who works at the university. And the whip? Well, it was little more than a string of rosary beads.

A Twitter page for the Roman Catholic religious order based in Chicago later posted an amusing robe guide, should their priests ever be mistaken for racists, boxers or other similarly-garbed folk in the future.