Incident in Rensselaer Athletic Facility

On the evening of Thursday, March 8, a motion-sensitive video camera was discovered in the locker room of an athletic facility on the Rensselaer Troy campus. Following a swift investigation that evening and the morning of March 9, evidence pointed to a particular Rensselaer employee. We took immediate steps, including, but not limited to, the prompt dismissal of the employee in question, barring him from the campus, and blocking all forms of building and electronic access. Also on Friday, March 9, we contacted the Troy Police Department and turned over all results of our internal investigation and all related evidence. The Troy Police Department has launched a full investigation of this matter. The Rensselaer Public Safety Department continues to work with the Troy Police in the investigation.

We also are performing ongoing comprehensive due diligence on campus, including checking all other Troy campus athletic facilities, residence hall shower facilities, and all campus bathrooms before our students return from spring break, to ensure that our students, as well as faculty, staff, and visitors, remain safe from criminal or inappropriate behavior. We have also reached out to the students who were identified as having appeared in video captured by the camera, and their families. Meetings have been scheduled for all student athletes with the Vice President for Student Life.

The immediate actions we have taken were in response to workplace behavior that was unacceptable and repugnant. We will keep the campus community informed of any additional information. We want to assure the members of our campus community and others that at the very core of what we do day in and day out is ensuring the safest living, learning and working environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

William WalkerVP for Strategic Communications and External RelationsRensselaer Polytechnic Institute