Student accused of multiple
sexual-violence code violations
1977 Hamline Cultural Diversity Report
"Small-town university, big city" reactions
•Kristin Mapel-Bloomberg's LTE
•Nancy Holland's LTE
Additional Letters to the Editor
Peterson RA Carrie Neve resigns
Peterson residents rally in support of Neve
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Peterson RA Carrie Neve resigns
Peterson Hall RA Carrie Neve, a CLA senior, resigned from her position yesterday, just two weeks before graduation.
Residential Life told her that if she chose not to resign, she would be fired, Neve said.
Director of Residential Life Patti Klein and Heights Hall Director Jennifer Fueglein refused to comment on Neve's resignation.
Neve said that when Res Life asked for her resignation, they didn't give her a formal reason. However, she said, Res Life was upset over recent actions she had taken regarding accusations of sexual assault in Peterson Hall.
On Monday, April 17, a Peterson resident said she was sexually assaulted by a male Peterson resident. Four hours later, Neve said the same male blocked her from leaving a women's restroom. Neve said she reported both incidents to Res Life shortly after.
However, Neve said, she was upset with the way Res Life handled the situation. Students were not informed, she said, and she was unable to reveal the accused student's identity to other RAs and Peterson residents.
Neve said she was additionally concerned about Interim Dean of Students Sherri Crahen's choice to move the accused student to a different Heights hall, from which he still had full access to Peterson.
Last week, Neve sent a letter to Peterson residents in which she named the accused student. The letter violated the university's confidentiality policy, she said, which is why res life asked her to resign.
In the letter, Neve said that by not notifying the campus, the administration showed that they do not value student safety. The decision fuels fear by requiring students to rely on rumors and gossip to obtain information, Neve said.
"I feel that the university administration does not value my safety enough to notify me of crimes that occur within my residence hall," Neve wrote in the letter.
Yesterday, over 50 students signed a petition showing their support for Neve, but Res Life still asked for her resignation that afternoon. Neve said that she resigned because she had no other option.
Neve said that the administration was also upset because, after her actions, they felt that future victims of sexual assaults would no longer trust Res Life.
Hours later, she turned in her staff keys and set a day to move out. At 6:00 p.m., she announced her resignation to Peterson staff and residents in an open floor meeting.
"It hurts that I have to leave my residents and my staff," Neve said.
Neve's father and mother are coming today and, in the next few days they will help her move out of her dorm and back home.
"They have been very supportive of me," she said.
Next fall, Neve will be working in a position with duties similar to her former RA position, but she said that after her recent experiences, she wants to move toward teaching.
"I definitely don't want to go into a field where you have to compromise your morals, knowing you're putting people at risk," she said.