Saint Mary’s director of campus safety Phil Bambenek released a statement to students through an email Tuesday afternoon detailing a sexual harassment incident reported Friday night.
The report stated that upon returning to campus in an Uber ride, the driver, “who claimed to know her from a previous ride,” attempted to make advancements on the survivor. After several efforts were made to touch her and hold her hand, all of which were not consensual and rejected, the driver “touched her in an inappropriate way.”
The survivor told Campus Safety she was able to remove herself from the situation by exiting the vehicle. Since the incident, the Uber driver has been identified and, after the student filed a complaint with Uber, was discharged as an employee from the Uber driver program.
Campus Safety noted the survivor still “retains the right to file a police report and have the incident investigated by law enforcement.”
After the brief report, Bambenek provided safety tips and concerns to be aware of when using rideshare services of any kind for students. These tips include sharing one’s trip information with friends and family, sitting in the back seat, passenger side of the vehicle and to not hesitate to exit a vehicle if a student feels something is wrong. Bambenek also provided a link to a list of resources and additional contact information.
“Unusual behavior should always be reported to Lyft or Uber immediately. The same driver who made you feel uncomfortable may pose a danger to another passenger in the future. Do your part to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Bamenek wrote. “If you get into a dispute with an Uber driver, use their customer service number to file a complaint. You can always contact Campus Safety or dial 911 for assistance if you feel unsafe.”
