A New Jersey woman pleaded not guilty Monday to making false threats against fellow blacks at the university she previously attended.

Kayla-Simone McKelvey, of Union Township, appeared at a brief court proceeding Monday to face one count of creating a false public alarm. She didn't comment afterward.

Prosecutors contend the 24-year-old participated in a Nov. 17 rally on racial issues at Kean University and then went to a campus library computer and posted anonymous threats on Twitter against black students.

Investigators said McKelvey then returned to the rally and tried to raise awareness about the threats.

The charge against McKelvey carries a maximum prison term of five years, but her attorney said her lack of any criminal past could earn her probation. The lawyer, Thomas Ashley, cautioned Monday that even a probationary term could include about a year in jail.

"I don't believe 364 days as a condition of probation would be an appropriate sentence," he said. "She has no prior record, and she has an impeccable background.

"She is quite remorseful," Ashley added.

Ashley said he planned to apply for McKelvey to be admitted into a pre-trial intervention program that would allow her to avoid jail time. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 28.

The November rally at Kean came in the wake of racial protests at the University of Missouri and other college campuses.