Dear Students and Colleagues,

On both Saturday and Sunday evenings, the university sent the Temple community TUalerts about large groups of juveniles gathered on public streets and sidewalks near Temple University’s campus. While these gatherings were initially orderly, some of those present later became unruly, negatively impacting the Temple and North Philadelphia communities. I write to you today with deep concern and a firm commitment to address these troubling events, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia.

On Saturday, two Temple students were assaulted and ultimately required medical attention. A third and fourth student reported being pushed to the ground but did not require medical attention. On Sunday, one additional student was pushed to the ground and robbed but did not require medical treatment. Two other assaults were also reported that did not involve members of the Temple community. Multiple arrests were made across the two days, including seven on Sunday. 

Our Division of Student Affairs has been working with the affected students to make sure they are supported and have access to the appropriate resources following these incidents. We are grateful that their injuries were not more serious, but we are fully aware of the trauma and anxiety these acts have caused. We encourage any student who needs assistance to contact our Division of Student Affairs or Tuttleman Counseling Services.  

In some cases, our Department of Public Safety receives advance notice of juvenile meetups, through either social media or law enforcement intelligence. Although that was not the case this weekend, but because we knew that many local K–12 schools were on spring break, the Department of Public Safety and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) had deployed additional officers and resources to the area. Police worked diligently and effectively to disperse the crowd, preventing further injury to bystanders. We are incredibly thankful for their efforts. 

Our Department of Public Safety is thoroughly investigating these incidents, along with PPD investigators, using video from university, city and SEPTA cameras. We are also using social media in an attempt to identify these individuals. We are working tirelessly to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

Incidents like these are deeply unsettling and completely unacceptable to both the university community and our neighbors. We cannot allow this type of behavior to become normalized in the area surrounding our campus. 

Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin has been in contact with several key leaders at the PPD, and I will be speaking with Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel this evening. It is imperative that we work together to identify interventions that will prevent future situations like this. 

Our priority is and will continue to be the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. You all expect and deserve a secure environment in which to live, work and learn, and we will continue to do everything we can to deliver just that. I will be sure to keep you apprised moving forward. 

Sincerely, 

John Fry 
President