Dateline: April 19, 2007

CC student reports being assaulted in dorm

A reported sexual assault of a Clarendon College student is being investigated by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office this week, and officers are still looking for a suspect.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said his office was alerted to the attack Sunday, April 15, at 6:15 p.m.

The 18-year-old female victim told officers that a man, who was dressed in dark clothing and wearing gloves and a ski mask, entered her room in Knorpp Hall, revealed a gun, forced her to have sex, and left.

The young woman was examined at Northwest Texas Hospital, and Blackburn said all physical evidence available has been gathered in a manner that could be matched to a suspect.

But at press time a suspect had not been identified, and Blackburn was asking the public for help.

“If anyone has any information – no matter how small, please contact us,” he said.

CC President Myles Shelton said the college has taken steps to secure its residence halls since the attack and that no visitors are being permitted in the dormitories at this time.

“We want our students to be safe and secure,” Shelton said.

The attack, which came one day before a gunman at Virginia Tech murdered 33 students, is causing Clarendon College to review all of its safety procedures, the president said.

“Whether it’s the University of Texas in the 1960s or Virginia Tech or Clarendon College today, these things can happen any time, any where if we are not diligent in safety and security measures,” Shelton said.

College officials met with all residence hall students Monday and reviewed security measures and the steps CC is taking to provide security. The reaction among students has been mixed, Shelton said.

“Some are obviously very concerned for their safety and for the victim, and some are in a state of disbelief.”

CC contracts with the sheriff’s office to provide general campus security. The college does not have video surveillance of any residence halls, but Shelton said that option has been discussed in the past and may be brought up again.

Clarendon College does have emergency plans and crisis management procedures, but all of those policies will now be reviewed, Shelton said. Any revised policies could be in place by next school year, and the president could not say how long the new “no visitors” policy will be enforce.