Suspect Faces Charges on Reports of Touching, Harassing Women on Campus

By Davaughnia Wilson | Updated by November 16, 2021

A former Kean University student is facing charges in connection with two separate reports from female students who said that a man touched and harassed them on Kean University’s Union campus on the evening of Nov. 3. 

According to Margaret McCorry, Associate Vice President for University Relations, “the suspect is scheduled to appear in Passaic County Court on December 22 to face four counts of harassment and one count of violation of probation.”

The suspect was not identified nor were the charges against him stated. Kean Police referred all calls to university relations. 

According to Karen Smith, Vice President for University Relations, “the safety of the campus community continues to be the university’s top priority. President Repollet met with members of his President’s Advisory Council to hear their suggestions for enhancing campus safety. He will continue to meet with students and KUPD [Kean University Police Department] to help ensure everyone feels safe on campus.”

One of the female students — who asked to remain anonymous —  used her Instagram account to bring awareness to the events of that night. In it, she said that she was “sexually assaulted” on Nov. 3 in the Center for Academic Success (CAS) by a man.

Since then students, both men, and women have rallied behind her. A few females shared their own experiences with the accused male and others shared their support for those who were harassed. 

The university commented on the post on Instagram stating that they were aware of the situation and that the safety of the campus community is their top priority. 

Kean also sent out an email stating that the university is aware of reports and that the KUPD is actively investigating the accusations. Anyone with information about this case was told to contact KUPD at 908-737-4800.

On Nov. 4, student Tamia Brown started a petition on change.org titled, ‘Protect Kean University Students’ to decision-makers President Lamont O. Repollet and Kean University. As of Nov. 10, 1,047 students had signed the petition.  

The petition states that “After many reports of sexual assault and harassment have been filed on campus without any attempts to rectify the issue, students on campus (men and women alike) believe that security and other means of safety should be installed on the campus… Hopefully, with the signing of this petition, officials within Kean University will be prompted to make a change that would prevent any event that could be dangerous to Kean students.”

The Tower reached out to Kean’s official explaining to them the allegations in the petition above, yet they didn’t comment on it.

On Nov. 5, in his weekly email to the campus community, President Repollet said campus safety has been his top priority since he became president and he is concerned about the ‘reports of harassment and possible assault’. 

He added that he would like to hear from the students directly and encouraged them to attend his next Student Town Hall on Monday, Nov. 22.

“Student voices matter as we continue to create a safe, respectful learning environment for all,” said President Repollet. 

KUPD was on a hunt for the accused the night of Nov. 3. They entered the Miron Student Center (MSC) Game Room at approximately 7 p.m. looking for the man. They asked to check the Game Rooms Patron and Guest Sign-in Sheets to see if the accused had entered the Game Room within the last hour.  

The Sign-in Sheets did not show that he had entered the Game Room within that time frame. However, they proceeded to take a male student out of the Game Room for questioning.

The student, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science explained that KUPD approached him and asked him for his ID and that he should step outside to speak with them. He said that they did not tell him why he was being questioned and he did not ask any questions he just answered them.

“I was a bit nervous but then they were really sweet to me so I was alright… In short, they did their job, I did my role of answering their questions,” he said. 

The student who originally posted on Instagram recounted what happened that night in her Instagram post. 

“He came up to me complimenting me, hugged me, and grabbed my breast,” she said. “He sat next to me and continued telling me things such as ‘you’re so beautiful, you should be a model’, ‘let me take you out, I’ll buy you anything you want, I’ll spoil you’.”

She said the man put his hand on her leg and asked for her phone number, Snapchat and Instagram. 

“He saw my phone turn on and proceeded to follow himself on IG (Instagram). I am not the only one he’s done this too,” she added. 

According to the university’s Sexual Assault, Misconduct and Violence policy, non-consensual sexual contact is, “any intentional sexual touching, however slight and with any object or body part, that is without consent (as defined below) and/or by force or coercion. This includes intentional contact with breasts, buttocks, groin, mouth or genitals, as well as any other intentional bodily contact that occurs in a sexual manner.”

The Instagram user explained that she made her Instagram account private after receiving some terrifying messages. 

“I don’t really feel safe talking and kinda want to stay low at the moment. I do appreciate all the support and interest. There are so many women out there that experienced the same problem. I just feel very overwhelmed with the situation,” she said. 

A second female student, a sophomore majoring in Psychology who also requested anonymity, said that she was leaving CAS on her way to the MSC to get food the night of Nov. 3 when she was approached by the same man in front of the Clock Tower.

“He basically just started complimenting me and asked to hug me and right away just go to say how beautiful I was, and just hugged me. I was caught off-guard. I was not expecting it. It was really weird,” said the sophomore.

He accompanied her to the MSC to get her food without her consent and was following her closely, walking side by side the entire time as if they were friends. 

“He asks what I’m into and how old I am. I told him my age and he says ‘oh so you’re not even old enough to drink yet, like, we can’t even drink together.’ Then he proceeded to say when do you want to hang out,” the sophomore said. 

She explained that she felt extremely uncomfortable and made up an excuse about things she needed to do to get away from him. 

Her phone was unlocked in her hand when he took her phone, put his number in, and texted himself from her phone, ‘Hey this is….’ and included her name. Shortly after getting her phone back, she blocked his number.

She said he also grabbed her for a hug and proceeded to lean in and try to kiss her. He was touching her hand, and would not let go or take the hint that she was uncomfortable with his actions.

As she scurried away, he followed her to the cafeteria located in the MSC. He then stood off to the side and stared at her before walking away. 

“I was creeped out,” she said.

The sophomore said she was traumatized by the incident, and stayed home from school for the rest of the week.

That night, she filed a police report and gave them the man’s phone number. KUPD informed her that she will be notified as soon as the man is caught and they will keep her updated with information about the case. 

The police asked her about the interactions, if the man physically touched her, if she had ever seen him before and after telling them, she said they were able to connect her story with that of other females that reported it that night. 

She said KUPD informed her that she could press charges against the accused male as soon as he is caught and that she could pick up her case report in a few weeks. Typically, case reports are ready within a week but she was informed that because there are a lot of girls involved in this case it might take a little longer. She said she will be pressing charges. 

On Friday Nov. 12, the sophomore said she received a notice from the Union Township Municipal Court to appear in a virtual court hearing on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m. regarding the incident. 

A third female student, a senior majoring in Theatre and Communication- Media and Film who also does not want to be named, stated that she was approached by the same man multiple times in the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters. 

She explained that she was at the Starbucks located in the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons when the man approached her, grabbed her phone, and texted himself from it.

“He came up to me and started talking to me and told me I was beautiful and that I should be a model. My phone happened to be unlocked on top of the table so he took it and put his number in it and texted himself from it. Since then, he would not stop texting me until I blocked the number,” she said.

The third woman explained that she would always see him at the library and she would try her best to avoid him. He would continue to approach her and follow her around. 

She took to the comments section of the Instagram post made by the first female student and said that the accused male has been harassing female students for years. 

According to the university’s Sexual Assault, Misconduct and Violence policy, stalking is “repetitive and/or menacing pursuit, following, harassment or other interference irrelevant criteria hurt, control or degrade another person physically or mentally personal and private relationship with the peace and/or safety of another person or that of his or her immediate family members”.

This story was written by Davaughnia Wilson and originally published on November 11, 2021

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