The Scarlet & Black

The Independent Student News Site of Grinnell College

The Scarlet & Black

The Scarlet & Black

Alerts issued for sexual exploitation, exhibitionism

Yishi Liang, Editor-in-Chief
liangyis@grinnell.edu

Two security alerts have been sent to campus this semester, both of which were sent on Wednesday, Feb. 24, within several hours of one another. The first was titled “Sexual Exploitation Notice” and the second, “Clery Timely Warning Exhibitionism.”

The first all-campus security notice was sent out in regard to an incident in which a white, college-aged male was reported photographing a student in an East Campus shower. He was confronted but fled and has yet to be located.

Six hours after this notice, campus was alerted of a second incident in which a male exposed his penis in the South Campus loggia. The alert did not detail a confrontation, but the male was identified as being “over six feet tall, was heavyset and wearing blue sweatpants.” He was reported to be in his late 20s or early 30s. Both incidents have been reported to the Grinnell Police Department and ongoing investigations are taking place.

“All situations, these two included, are treated with equal importance as they have severe implications for the campus community,” Leah Reuber, JaMaLand Residence Life Coordinator, wrote in an email to the S&B. “[T]he primary difference is the likelihood of one being a student and the other being a member of the larger Grinnell community. This [puts] us within a different scope of potential perpetrators.”

Reuber encouraged students to lock their dorm doors and not let unfamilar individuals into dorms or other buildings. Additionally, records of who has used their Pioneer One cards to access buildings are available.

“[T]he Pioneer card reader system allows us to pull up records of when someone has accessed a building which helps greatly if situations arise and we need to locate someone immediately or know if/when someone has accessed a building,” Reuber wrote. “This is not a foolproof system given other variables but certainly a necessary measure.”

At this point, no other details have been released about the incidents.

“Especially in these two incidents, there is likely an ongoing threat as neither perpetrator was apprehended by local authorities,” wrote Andrea Conner, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, in an email to the S&B. “From here, we will partner closely with Grinnell Police Department to give them any information we have that might help bring some resolution to these cases.”

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