Two Students Report Sexual Harassment in Tufts Library

In the past month, two female students have reported that they were sexually harassed by a public masturbator in a Tufts library, the Tufts Daily reports. Two others reported incidents last year.

[The most recent reported victim] said she was studying at a table in the periodical section of the library's main floor when the suspect sat down diagonally across from her and began reading a magazine. All three other victims interviewed by the Daily reported noticing the same behavior.

The man's hand was resting on his crotch outside of his pants, [she] said. "I didn't want to believe what was going on," she said, noting that the man looked up at her "very frequently." A friend of [the female student] eventually sat down at the table. The suspect immediately got up and sat by another female student at a different table, where he continued his conduct.

After the latest incident, the Tufts police confronted the alleged suspect but let him go after deciding they did not have conclusive evidence to show he committed a sexual offense. "Unless we see or have clear and convincing evidence, we are not going to take that person into custody," a Tufts police sergeant said.