President’s Statement to the Stockton Community on Recent Sexual Assault Lawsuits

Dear Members of the Stockton Community,

During the past month, several alleged sexual assaults involving former and current Stockton University students have been the subject of lawsuits.  We are deeply concerned about the victims and are committed to being as transparent as possible to keep the Stockton community informed of these serious matters. 

Please know that we have and will continue to coordinate with law enforcement to pursue justice on behalf of our students, but we cannot comment on specific cases, including those that may be the subject of litigation.

I personally want every student, parent, faculty, and staff to know that we take the report of a sexual assault of any member of our community extremely seriously.  We have extensive resources in place to support victims and protect students and the community.  We care deeply about our students.

We advise our students to immediately report any incident or concerning situation to authorities.  Campus authorities immediately initiate all protocols relating to any incident and document all such actions. 

We have dedicated professionals who deal with these serious issues, including our Wellness Center and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Center staffs who are devoted to supporting students in times of crisis.

In addition to addressing the incidents that occur in our community, it is also our aim to prevent sexual violence in the first place.  

We require incoming students to attend Orientation and Welcome Programs that specifically address topics such as sexual assault and violence prevention.  We also address safety with parents during orientation and urge all to support our guidance and policies.  It is vital to our community that we all share the responsibility to respect and protect each other from threatening behavior and situations.  

As we prepare for the new academic year, we will be reinforcing those messages and reviewing our procedures as we strive to ensure all students feel confident that we are committed to their safety.

Again, Stockton University is fully cooperating with all authorities and continues to remain steadfast in its comprehensive efforts to provide a safe and secure campus for the entire Stockton University community.

We will update the community as we are advised by the Attorney General’s office.

Best regards,

Harvey Kesselman

President

Stockton University

 

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Media Contact:
Diane D’Amico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
Diane.D’Amico@stockton.edu
609-652-4593
stockton.edu/media