Campus Safety has determined that there is no threat to the community after investigating a campus visitor’s report that they were assaulted by several male students in the CFAC parking lot. The visitor initially reported being “jumped and grabbed by several male students while they were walking to their car,” according to the campus safety report from September 22. 

In an interview with Chimes, Campus Safety Director William Corner revealed that the reporting party later changed their explanation of what happened, and told Campus Safety that they had not been assaulted. “The individual, as time went by, realized that maybe things didn’t happen as they recalled them,” Corner said. 

Campus Safety reviewed surveillance footage during their investigation of the incident, which did not show any interaction between the reporting party and any students. “We determined that things did not occur as originally reported,” Corner said. 

Campus Safety offered to have the Grand Rapids Police get involved in the investigation, but the reporting party declined. 

Corner stressed that people’s memories of events do change over time. He explained that it is not unusual for crime victims to report things out of order, especially if they have trauma in their past and that Campus Safety is understanding of this. “I want you to feel comfortable contacting us,” Corner said.