New Jersey university opens dialogue concerning sexual harassment

GLASSBORO, N.J. (WTXF) - An important message from one New Jersey university. Rowan University's president is urging the community to work together to create a safe environment in the wake of the sexual harassment cases all over the country.

Glassboro, New Jersey's Rowan University is an expanding school of 18,500 undergraduate, graduate and medical students.

Amy Hoach is a Rowan psychologist.

"Are students reluctant to come forward, do you think? The statistics would suggest most people do not report this," Hoach stated.

In a campus-wide email, Rowan's president wrote:

The letter was the idea of a university committee focused on sexual violence prevention.

Its members wanted to speak to the Rowan community in the wake of the Larry Nassar case.

Nassar is the Michigan State University doctor who molested Olympic gymnasts.

His victims spoke of their pain in open, emotional court hearings.

Allayna Nofs is a senior majoring in English.

"Do you think it's a problem here? I do. I feel like there are instances from something super small to blatant sex harassment that people don't talk about," said Nofs.

Hoach says the letter was not prompted by a campus incident, but released in the knowledge one in five female undergraduates are sexually assaulted.

She thinks the horror of the Nassar case has made it time to act.

"It's taken really significant events with multiple victims to somehow even make a dent in creating national attention to this issue," Hoach explained.