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Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News

A Tulane junior reported to the Tulane University Police Department that a TUPD officer made unwanted sexual advances toward him, and possibly tasered and raped him.

The student, who had been out drinking at a party on Sept. 30, said he was on his way home when the officer approached him.

"He basically explained that I needed to go with him and that he needed to bring me back [to my dorm]," said John, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy. "We walked down Broadway and turned onto Freret. Instead of going onto campus we went into one of the gated communities... He took me to a random house, and we sat on the porch. We started talking, and it seemed that he just wanted to tell me his life story."

John told the officer he wanted to go home because he had class in the morning. The officer responded saying, "I want to make sure that you don't go back out tonight," according to John.

The officer then escorted him to his residence hall, where the crime allegedly happened.

"We get to my room, I go inside and start to shut the door, and he pushes the door open, goes inside and locks it," John said. "He shoved me onto the bed and got on top of me. He started trying to kiss me and kiss my neck. I was fighting him the whole time and trying to get him off of me."

John said the officer suddenly stopped and went into the bathroom. At this point, John stepped out of the room and tried to contact a friend.

"He was coming out of the bathroom, and I went back into the bedroom. He again forced me onto the bed," John said. "After a little more struggling, I felt this really sharp pain to my neck…. and I don't remember anything else."

"I woke up the next day, I had no clothes on, and I had two deep holes on my neck... I didn't know what to do," John said. "I was scared… I didn't know what had happened."

John waited three days to report the incident.

"I kept playing it over and over in my head. I finally told [my parents] Monday night," John said. "I couldn't find anyone Tuesday, and I was finally able to set up a meeting on Wednesday with [an advocate who] got TUPD and NOPD involved."

Waiting a few days is not unusual in cases involving violent crime.

"Two [or three] days is a very typical time for an assault survivor to wait to report the crime," said Rape Emergency, Awareness and Coping Hotline Vice President and senior Lauren Ruth.

REACH is a student-run confidential rape crisis hotline that operates 24 hours a day.

"People have called us anywhere from right after the rape to two years after," Ruth said.

John said that his advocate, who was not a REACH volunteer, was able to help him make sure that everything was handled properly. A report was filed with NOPD and two sex crime detectives came to his dorm and took the bed sheets for testing. Laboratory results are pending, John said.

"Tulane had a third party [from the administration] come in and [investigate]," John said. "They had a big meeting one morning and decided to let the officer go."

Vice President for University Communications Debbie Grant said her "hands were tied" in reference to discussing the allegations. "Because this is a personnel matter we cannot discuss this with the Hullabaloo," she said.

Executive Director of Employee Relations and Equity Stefanie Allweiss, who John identified as the third party brought in to investigate the allegations, did not respond to repeated attempts for comment on this story.

Steve Kiesch, the assistant director for employee relations, was reached but was told not to comment.

"They know [the Hullabaloo has] been trying to contact us," he said. "I am sure that they will contact you in due time."

Messages left for Interim Director of Human Resources Aileen Nethery were also unreturned. A message left for Senior Vice President Yvette Jones was directed to Grant.

"[Senior Vice President for Operations Anthony Lorino] is extremely busy this week and is unavailable on such short notice. He suggested to speak with [TUPD Colonel Jack] LeBlanc who was involved in the process," Lorino's executive assistant Frances Vickers said when contacted on Monday.

LeBlanc responded that he and TUPD are unable to comment on the accusations.

"That report of [the crime] is still under investigation," LeBlanc said.

TUPD Captain Reid Noble added, "General Counsel would have to comment on this matter."

The Office of General Counsel was contacted multiple times about this story. Messages left for General Counsel Victoria Johnson were unreturned as were messages for Special Assistant General Counsel Kathy L'Hoste.

John said his advocate arranged everything for him and that, without her, he wouldn't have known what to do. She directed him to all of the resources he needed and provided him with updates and contacts with the administrators looking into the allegations.

"Until the day they told me [the officer] was fired, they were extremely supportive. Since then I haven't heard anything, really," John said.

Some students have expressed support for the officer since his dismissal from the university.

"[He] made an effort to get to know the students that he was charged with the protection of as opposed to just putting in [a] shift," Tulane Firearms Owners Association President and senior Alex Sansome said. "I didn't have a lot of personal interaction with him; we had a professional relationship. He was very supportive of our organization."

Junior Dan Nichols also had a good relationship with the officer.

"He's not the kind of guy who would do something like that," Nichols said. "The man has trained officers for years. He's a great guy and a great police officer in my opinion."

Nichols believes that the officer's sanction and termination from the university was unjust.

He was told that "the reason for the administrative leave… was improper radio protocol. My understanding is that he has been let go," Nichols said.

Sansome, however, does not believe this incident should go unreported.

"One way or another I think that students should know the outcome," Sansome said.

John similarly wants knowledge to be released to the Tulane community.

"I didn't want this to get pushed under the rug," John said.

The officer declined to comment for this story under legal advice.

Also read
Administration silence, denial maintains rape culture on campus

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