“We write to enlist your help,” begins the e-mail, signed by Chancellor Thomas W. Cole, Jr. and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Esther Terry. “Over the past eight days, administrators and safety personnel have been confronted with a series of incidents marked by such incivility and violence as to threaten our existence as a community defined by intellectual exploration, high regard for each other, and the freedom to move about without fear of being hurt.”
The first incident took place on Feb. 1 and resulted in the suspension of eight UMass lacrosse players for violation of team rules.
As of Feb. 11, two lacrosse players have been arrested by the Amherst Town Police in connection with an alleged fight that took place off-campus on Feb. 1 at 304 North Pleasant Street. According to the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, the police’s “initial investigation alleged that approximately 12 young men forcibly entered the property and beat three college-aged males with lacrosse sticks and bottles, sending the victims to the hospital.”
In addition, the e-mail mentioned a charge of sexual assault in a residence hall on Feb. 2, a separate charge of assault on Feb. 2, and an incident that resulted in two stab wounds on Feb. 3.
“We also want to assure you that even though our campus is generally safe and will certainly get past these few violent incidents, we believe that one single act of violence is too many, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that all such behavior is discouraged,” the e-mail concluded. “In that regard, we ask that we stand together to make this campus the safe, free environment that it should be.”
The UMass Student Government Association and the ALANA Caucus are hosting a forum on Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. in the UMass campus center to discuss how to improve campus security.