Ramping up efforts to keep students and community members safe, the Cornell University Police continues to follow leads and seek information from members of the local and university communities in the wake of one harassment incident and two sexual assaults Sept. 2, while Student and Academic Services and local social services provide support to the victims and other community members.

"We are actively following the leads we have collected," said Kathy Zoner, chief of police. "We are extremely grateful for those we have received from the public to date, because they suggest that other people may have been in the area and might have more information that would help further our investigation. We encourage anyone who was in the relevant areas at the relevant times -- even if they did not actually witness one of these crimes -- to share their observations with us." Zoner encourages people to contact the Cornell Police at 607-255-1111 with their observations, even if they seem insignificant to the holder of the information.

According to Zoner, the harassment incident took place near Hughes Hall at around 2 a.m., when a man attempted to grab a woman and then fled after she hit him with a bag she was carrying. The second incident, at about 3:15 a.m., occurred in the city of Ithaca when a man knocked on an apartment door at a residence in Collegetown, forced his way into the apartment and reached under the dress of the woman who had answered the door. She was able to push the male subject out of the apartment. The third incident is a reported rape that occurred at about 3:45 a.m., when a woman was walking down the stairs leading to the south side of the Suspension Bridge on the 800 block of University Avenue.

Cornell Police has stepped up patrols and boosted its presence on campus while collaborating with local law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and resources, Zoner said. The police department has also increased the number of walking escort teams available, and Zoner urges pedestrians to use the Blue Light escort service (pick up a Blue Light phone or call 607-255-7373) and take precautions to ensure their personal safety.

The Cornell Police is also collaborating with the Office of the Dean of Students, supplementing support services and providing programming for personal safety. Coincidentally, free self-defense classes began Sept. 5 and will run weekly through Dec. 5 on Wednesday evenings, 7:30-8:30 p.m., in Willard Straight Hall.

Student and Academic Services offices already have mobilized to respond to and support victims of the incidents and other members of the Cornell community who have been affected by them. On Sept. 5, Cornell Responds, an initiative of the Center for Intercultural Dialogue designed to provide tools, space and community support around bias incidents and other concerns, held two sets of office hours -- one with Laura Weiss, director of the Women's Resource Center, to discuss the ripple effects of incidents of sexual assault on those who hear about them; and one with Mark Houlemarde, director of the Latino Living Center, to provide an open space for men to respond to these incidents.

Patricia Nguyen, assistant dean of students for the Asian/Asian American Center said that Cornell Responds provides a space for campus community members to find support and connect, in order to think about ways to respond and work as a community. The initiative provides education and restoration, she said, noting its White Ribbon Campaign to show advocacy and solidarity against gender-based violence.

The first fall meeting of student organization leaders, the Leadership Roundtable, designed to engage student leaders in solution-oriented discussion and problem-solving around bias-related and other concerns, will be held Sept. 8. The agenda of that meeting has been adjusted to include problem-solving around concerns that may have arisen from the incidents of this past weekend.

A listing of resources is being distributed to faculty and staff for their use in supporting each other and students who may be affected by the recent incidents. The Caring Community website also lists many resources to answer concerns, provide links to counseling services, and lend support to individuals and groups.

Counseling and Support

Medical Assistance

Resource Centers

Reporting and Legal Remedies

Additional Resources