Updated

A former employee of the University of Florida confessed to sending a mysterious message through the school's emergency text message system, the Gainesville Sun reported on Thursday.

Thousands of current and former faculty, staff and students received a text message reading "The monkey got out of the cage" at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday night.

UF spokesman Steve Orlando told the newspaper that while many students suspected the message was a racial slur against President Obama, the man who admitted sending the message said it was accidental and not racially motivated.

Orlando said it does not appear that university data was compromised.

A criminal investigation is underway, and the university said its police, local police and the State Attorney's Office are determining in whose jurisdiction the case falls before pursuing criminal charges, the Sun reported.

Click here to read more on this story from the Gainesville Sun.