An unidentified man was sighted leaving the women’s bathroom on the second floor of Kratz Hall last week on Jan. 25. 

In the week since, rumors have circulated on campus about his identity and method of entry, and campus safety has been working with Res Life to get to the bottom of it.

The man, described  in a campus safety alert as “white with blonde hair” and “approximately 6 feet, 2 inches” remains unidentified. 

“[We] responded to the call to learn more details about this sighting,” said Chad Coleman, director of campus safety. “After taking a report from the RA, we did a thorough walkthrough of the Connector, Kratz Hall, Yoder Hall and surrounding areas .” 

“We take reports like this very seriously and have continued to investigate this individual and incident further by reviewing ID card access logs and security camera footage. For added safety, I have asked campus safety officers to make additional walk-throughs in our residential spaces,” said Coleman. 

He also mentioned that he spoke with the Goshen Police Department to request “increased patrols through campus roadways” the night of the event.

Their emphasis on student safety was evident in the following days, but worry still spread around campus following the push alert from Omnilert, an app that campus safety uses to alert the GC community. 

“When our RA told me what happened, I felt frozen in fear,” said Sophia Kellenberger, a junior biochemistry major who lives on Kratz two. 

“I’ve always felt so safe and GC,” she added, “and I’ve never been someone that [even] locked my door, but in that moment that safety was violated and was really difficult for me to process.”

As for after the incident, “My roommate and I lock our door,” said Kellenberger.

According to Resident Director Emily Hahn, campus safety “explored several leads or suggestions of who the person may have been and so far, none have been verified, but [they] were able to eliminate a few possibilities.”

“We have taken this very seriously,” she said.  “I live with my family in this building as well, so I take the safety of this building incredibly seriously, both professionally and personally.” 

Campus safety and Res Life maintain that student safety is their top priority, but also that their power may be limited. They suggest that students continue to report anything suspicious and keep doors closed and locked. 

“At this point, we are staying vigilant, but we do not believe there is any cause for panic,” Hahn said. 

She also made clear that efforts should be made to “dispel misinformation, as . . . that has really fueled a lot of the fear in this situation.” 

As Res Life and campus safety continue to investigate, they maintain that the situation is not a serious cause for alarm and, with proper precautions, students and faculty are not in danger.