Delaware State responds to protest cries with town hall meeting — but closed it to public
Update, 7:46 p.m., Jan. 20: President Tony Allen issued a statement Friday evening outlining "initial steps" for campus security in the wake of Wednesday's protest and Thursday night's town hall meeting.
It was more structured than a protest on the street — but students were ready to be just as passionate.
Delaware State University called for a town hall meeting Thursday evening following an explosive protest against campus police and the handling of sexual assault cases. Students packed the Education and Humanities Theatre just as hundreds had flooded the road outside the Police Department a day earlier.
Before the meeting could kick off, however, university officials told media to leave.
“This is a family meeting,” said Carlos Holmes, director of news services, while escorting this reporter out of the auditorium. This is the second time reporters have been removed from campus recently while trying to cover issues at Delaware State University.
UPDATE HERE:'Your bravery and strength are clear': Delaware State gives next steps in campus security
Some parents expressed similar frustration, as they couldn't attend or watch online.
“We didn't have the opportunity to attend,” said Linda Gray-Broughton, a mother of one Delaware State student. “Somebody tried to stream early on when the meeting began, and I was watching it.”
But university officials, she said, then told the auditorium there would be no video permitted.
“So the recording ended.”
The meeting would end up stretching nearly nine hours long, several students said Friday. Ending by about 3 a.m., the packed house heard emotional testimony, firsthand accounts and cries that the meeting be a first step to more action.
The school community now waits to see what that action may look like.
So what happened at the on-campus protest?
Hundreds of students took to a campus street Wednesday afternoon, calling for change within the Delaware State University Police Department. The protest pushed into the late afternoon.
Students called for better response times, better training and more transparent handling of sexual assault cases by the Delaware State University Police Department. Several said they do not feel safe on campus. Others fear more sexual assaults are going unreported because they say they are not taken seriously.
More:Delaware State students protest for more action, better response from university police
Every sexual assault reported to campus police is investigated, police Chief Bobby Cummings told gathered students Wednesday.
From August 2022 to the day before this protest, or roughly six months, the university’s public crime log shows seven reports of rape on campus. Each case is marked as pending.
In 2021, University of Delaware crime statistics show five sexual assaults reported, with Temple University recording seven in the same 12 months.
“We're supposed to be at a place where we feel loved, where we feel at home," freshman Micaih Lloyd said Wednesday. "Administration needs to make a change."
What’s next?
In a statement released Wednesday, President Tony Allen shared plans to have university experts collaborate with a student coalition, the university’s counseling center, university police and the Title IX office to create “sexual assault awareness activities and interventions” on campus.
His vision would be led alongside Gwendolyn Scott-Jones, Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences dean and executive director of the University’s Trauma Academy, according to his statement. An exact timeline or next steps for the university were not outlined.
This unrest comes as the campus just celebrated enrollment milestones.
Delaware State University marked a 40% expansion in the last decade by fall 2022, welcoming the largest class of 1,700 freshmen and more than 6,200 total students for the first time in its 131 years. The Dover institution also shared a No. 2 ranking among public and No. 8 ranking among all Historically Black Colleges and Universities that fall — ranked among other institutions of higher education established before the Civil Rights Act aiming to foster African American students.
Background:Colleges are shrinking. But HBCUs like Delaware State are riding a wave of their own
More:Delaware State promised a 'candid response' to a recent shooting. Here's what we know.
What do Delaware State students want?
Some students say more help is needed at home.
“I mean the worst outcome is that they don’t take us seriously, and they don’t do anything,” said one student, Dynah Mosley, before heading toward the town hall. “And the best thing that can happen is that they actually try to emphasize with us and try to understand where we’re coming from.”
The junior had a hard time coming into the meeting optimistic.
“It’s heartbreaking for everyone …,” Mosley said. “Don’t get us wrong, we love our HCBU. This is why we push these issues — because we want the best for our HBCU. We want to be the best. We want to address these issues and be the best university there is.”
Kelly Powers is a culture reporter for the How We Live team — covering race, culture and equity for the USA TODAY Network's Northeast Region and Delaware Online. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (484) 466-9121, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Delaware State responds to protest with closed town hall meeting
