Letter to community from President Lambert

March 11, 2005

To: Members of the Elon community

From: President Leo M. Lambert

Wednesday’s arrest of an Elon student for allegedly using hidden cameras to videotape female students has shocked and saddened our community and brought forth a wave of emotions. It follows a report of an acquaintance rape in Danieley Center on February 26 and allegations of a late-night attack on a female who was in Smith residence hall on March 5. These three unrelated events have raised anxiety on campus, especially among female students.

In response, we have taken several steps you should be knowledgeable about:

• The male student charged in the videotaping incident is no longer enrolled at the University, has returned home with his parents, and is facing criminal charges
• The women who were involved in the videotaping incident have been contacted and briefed about the case, and offered counseling services to help them deal with this serious invasion of their privacy
• The male student involved in the acquaintance rape incident has withdrawn from the University, is barred from campus, and is facing criminal charges
• The female student involved in the Smith Hall incident has asked that campus police discontinue their investigation of the incident; she has indicated that she may pursue the matter further through the campus judicial system
• We have held two open forums at which students asked questions, voiced opinions and offered suggestions about ways to improve campus safety and uphold our social honor codes
• Faculty and staff gathered at a forum to discuss ways to reach out to students and meet their needs for support and education about these issues

The tenor of the forums over the past two days has been that of the aftermath of a family tragedy. Students have violated the trust of other students, and the implications of those actions have harmed lives and shaken the campus. The alleged perpetrators of these incidents, until recently active members of our community, now find themselves in extremely troubling circumstances. Students should understand that the University will act quickly and decisively when their behavior puts themselves or others at risk, and will not tolerate actions that threaten our community values and standards. Students have seen first-hand this week how poor decisions can turn lives upside down.

In the Student Government Association forum last night, students spoke eloquently and forcefully about preserving and protecting Elon’s cherished sense of community, and the need for each of us to take personal responsibility for keeping community. Students also were reminded by Campus Police Chief Chuck Gantos and Vice President for Student Life Smith Jackson how to protect their own personal safety: never succumbing to the belief that dangerous things cannot happen at Elon; avoiding high-risk behaviors such as excessive drinking; and trusting one’s instincts to avoid potentially harmful circumstances. We also assured students that they will be fully supported by the community in times of personal crisis.

I’d like to restate the thoughtful remarks expressed by Chaplain Richard McBride at our Wednesday student forum. He advised us that increased anxiety will not improve campus safety. Worry solves nothing and diminishes our daily lives. Instead, he asked us to be more alert. That means being aware of our surroundings, our actions and the actions of those around us.

At the forums we heard several good suggestions about ways that students can become more involved in increasing safety and security on campus. I am confident those ideas will develop into positive action which we will communicate in the weeks and months ahead. Together, we can make a significant impact and reduce the chances of these incidents from being repeated. When tragedies do occur, we will pull together for the affected individuals and the collective good of the community.