Hillsdale city police officers and campus security escorted a local man out of Mossey Library Tuesday night.
“Late last week he was on campus and approached a student improperly and made her feel uncomfortable,” Director of Campus Security Bill Whorley said. “He was issued a no-trespassing notice and told not to return to campus.”
Between 10:45 and 11:15 p.m. on March 24, a student worker at the library saw the man using a reference computer and called both Hillsdale police and security, junior library employee Lydia Ivkovich said.
“Police were called and there were security members present on the scene immediately,” Whorley said.
Library Circulation Manager Colleen Ladd agreed.
“We are very proud of our student workers who handled the situation appropriately and quickly,” she said.
On March 20, Library Director Dan Knoch emailed his staff informing them that the man was “exhibiting aberrant behavior” in the library around 12:30 a.m the night before. “He is reported to have used the first floor women’s restroom, was viewing soft-porn on a reference computer, and was staring at female students.”
The email also instructed student workers to contact security if a library guest made them feel uncomfortable.
“I do not view him as a confrontational or violent threat,” Whorley said in an email on Wednesday morning. “He is however, unwelcome.”
The library serves the college, but is open to the public.
“It’s not discouraged at all, until it’s misused. We don’t want people to feel unwelcome here,” said Ladd. “It’s about the students, it’s their place and we don’t want them to feel uncomfortable or threatened, and the students come first.”
