Are Women Actually Safe at UMass?

(Content Warning: This article mentions rape and sexual assault.)

In light of the recent reports of a peeping tom in the Grayson and Field dormitories in Orchard Hill, female students have expressed safety concerns.

Local news station, Channel 22 , interviewed multiple students on campus last Wednesday and they reported feeling “creeped out” and “afraid to shower.”

According to the UMass Police Department’s crime alert, there have been five reported incidents, between September 16 and 18, of an unidentified male allegedly recording female students while they showered.

This phenomena is not new to UMass. A crime alert from November of 2014, noted that there were four reports of the same offenses occurring in the John Adams residence hall in the Southwest cluster. In the case of the incidents that happened in 2014, the perpetrator was never found. The investigation into the suspicious activity reported in Orchard Hill is still ongoing. 

Sexual harassment statistics on campus

A report released by the Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting (CIC) in March of 2023, analyzed Title IX reports filed at UMass Amherst between Sept. of 2014 and Sept. of 2022. 

They discovered that “between 2014 and 2020, the categorization of 124 incidents reviewed by the Student Conduct and Community Standards Office (SCCS) were: 29 (23%) sexual assault; 27 (22%) sexual harassment; 27 (22%) domestic violence; 16 (13%) rape; 5 (4%) stalking; 20 (16%) other.”

Additionally, they found that between 2020 and 2022, 37% of the 63 rape and sexual assault cases that were reviewed by the Equal Oppurtunity and Access Office (Title IX office) occurred in the UMass Amherst dorms.

Social media’s response

Talks on the social media platforms Facebook and Reddit have inspired discourse around the safety of female students at UMass Amherst. 

Under a Reddit thread about the alleged peeping tom in Orchard Hill, a user wrote, “unfortunately this is going to go unaddressed. The university will refuse to take action. If you ask for cameras in the halls near the bathrooms they will claim it’s a privacy issue for individuals who have rooms nearby. If you ask for better stalls and more safety precautions in the bathrooms they will ignore it and cite funding issues.”

Another user noted that a similar issue was allegedly happened last year in Washington, in the Southwest cluster, but they never caught the offender. 

On a Reddit thread from 2014 about the UMPD crime alert, a user wrote, “Yik Yak seems to think it was a pledge of Alpha Sig. Not confirmed.”

Similarly in a UMass family Facebook group, users have been recounting other incidents of this nature. One user alleged that there was a flasher in the Puffton Village area in May 2018.

Overwhelmingly, both UMass students and parents emphasize that the girls’ bathrooms should have electronic key-card access and shower doors with locks to prevent these incidents from happening again.

Has UMass taken any action? 

UMass has taken no campus-wide action to prevent these problems from happening again. 

The girl’s bathrooms in the Orchard Hill residence halls remain unlocked and unmonitored. The only thing put in between someone showering and a peeping tom is a flimsy, opaque curtain. 

The singular precaution that was implemented in regards to bathroom safety in Orchard Hill is frosted windows on all of the bathroom doors.

Most dorms on campus, besides the honors college and dorms with suites, have the same bathroom arrangements. 

The University sent out an email October 8, nearly two weeks after the reported incidents.

Safety tips!

1. Use the buddy system.

2. Keep pepper spray, a whistle, or a safety alarm on you.

3. Share your location with friends and family.

4. Keep the UMPD phone number in your phone.

5. Report any suspicious activity.

6. Avoid walking alone at night.

7. Utilize the campus security escort service.

8. Lock your doors.

9. Be aware of your surroundings.

10. Have a plan for emergencies.

Resources

The Victim Rights Law Center offers free legal support for victims of sexual assault.

UMPD may be contacted at 545-2121 or online

UMass Amherst Title IX Office can be reached through email at equalopportunity@admin.umass.edu or visit their website

UMass Amherst Center for Counseling and Psychological Health

Campus Security Escort Service

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