A TikTok video of a woman alleging that she was sexually harassed by a Morgan State security guard on campus property on multiple occasions has gone viral.
The woman, who identified herself as a senior political science major at the school, said she was verbally accosted by the guard more than twice, the third time being before the recording of the TikTok video.
The Spokesman was unable to independently verify the identity of either the woman or the security guard.
Through a statement issued by the university’s Office of Public Relations Friday, school officials pledged to “thoroughly” investigate the allegations.
“The alleged improper behaviors described in the video do not represent Morgan’s core values,” the statement said. “The safety and well-being of the members of our community is and will continue to be a top priority.”
The statement, issued through a campus-wide email described the video’s claims as “troubling” and assures that the incident has been brought to the attention of the MSU Police Department.
The post has reached more than 83,000 views and has 4,516 comments.
“This is the third time that I’ve had sexual advances made towards me by the security at this school,” the woman said in tears in the video. “When you report it, the people in charge laugh at you and insinuate that it’s not true. Or that it didn’t happen because they ‘know their staff.’”
The video was shot outside of Martin D. Jenkins Behavioral and Social Sciences Center where she said the alleged harassment took place. While inside the building, the woman said in the video the security guard approached her and complimented her legs, afterwards asking her on a date.
The woman rejected his advances and described the guard as a “60-year-old man.” She described the interactions as “nasty and unrequited.”
She said she sought the help of the school’s political science administration, looking to report the man’s conduct, saying that she was uncomfortable. The woman said she was told by university officials that an investigation of the claims would be escalated.
After reporting the incident, the woman said she overheard a university official discussing the case. She said she heard the official say that they did “not believe” that sexual advances were made toward the woman.
“I know him, and I don’t believe he did any of that,” the woman repeats the administrator saying in the video.
According to the woman, the official laughed at the claims. She then confronted the administrator, who maintained that because they had a personal relationship with the security guard, they did not believe the report was true.
“If you don’t want to be sexually harassed, violated and laughed at, don’t come to Morgan State,” the woman said, concluding the TikTok post.
Representatives of the Office of Public Relations did not make any of the accused individuals named in the video available for comment at the time of this article’s release, citing that the matter is currently under investigation.
Daniel Laughlin • Mar 8, 2024 at 11:00 pm
Morgan provides require harassment training to faculty and staff. That train includes guidance on handling such complaints. There are also instructions and resources on Title IX website to help anyone experiencing sexual harassment and to guide faculty and staff who receive complaints like this.
The person reported to should work to create a safe space and demonstrate empathy for the person reporting the incident and provide access to resources to report the incident further and access to available resources to provide support for the reporting person.
A suggestion for the Spokesman: when reporting stories like this include links to Morgan support resources at the end of the article. It is a good practice that amplifies awareness of the available support services to the community. They are listed in the campus email about the viral video. I would provide them but links are not permitted in comments.