Lafayette College is facing questions about its response to a reported rape on campus after waiting nearly two weeks to alert students, a decision that drew criticism from Northampton County’s district attorney.
The incident reportedly took place at the Williams Center for the Arts sometime after midnight on Oct. 3 and was reported to the college’s Office of Public Safety on Oct. 4, according to reporting by The Lafayette, the college’s student newspaper. A campus-wide alert was not sent about the report until Oct. 16, after local news outlet lehighvalleylive.com contacted officials there about the incident, The Lafayette reported.
The delay has raised questions about how college officials determine when a reported sexual assault warrants a warning to the campus community.
Under the federal Clery Act, colleges must issue timely warnings when certain crimes on or near campus are determined to pose a serious or ongoing threat to the community. Lafayette’s Office of Public Safety initially determined that the report did not meet that threshold, according to the college’s alert.
Northampton County District Attorney Steven Baratta told The Lafayette he was uncomfortable with the college's conclusion that the incident posed no continuing threat and urged students to remain vigilant.
Laura Dunn, a New York City civil and victims’ rights attorney, told lehighvalleylive.com that colleges sometimes issue warnings about sexual assaults even when the circumstances vary, particularly when a perpetrator has not been identified. Such alerts can also remind students of available campus resources.
Lafayette officials have defended their handling of the report and the evidence collected after the alleged assault. The college confirmed that its public safety office received a rape kit at 8 p.m. on Oct. 4 and said the evidence was preserved in accordance with Pennsylvania law, according to The Lafayette.
State law allows sexual assault survivors to have evidence collected without reporting the assault to police or pursuing a criminal investigation. Lafayette said preserving the evidence would allow it to be available if the survivor chose to cooperate with law enforcement later.
The college also said representatives met with the district attorney’s office the morning after receiving the report to review the steps taken. According to Lafayette, no concerns about the handling of the kit or report were raised during that meeting.
Baratta also criticized the college’s response in light of a widely publicized alleged gang rape at Cornell University. Lafayette called that comparison unjustified, The Lafayette reported.
In response to the dispute, Lafayette College and the district attorney’s office announced a joint working group focused on sexual assault prevention and victim advocacy.
Dunn said officials should demonstrate their commitment to survivors through consistent support and thorough investigations, rather than pressuring victims to come forward.
