Five days have passed since three Binghamton University students were attacked on Hawley street — a case that went unreported to the student body. Since then, other students have come forward to share their stories of off-campus violence with Pipe Dream.
Juliana Miles and her roommate Rebecca Feinman were attacked near the intersection of State Street and Henry Street in the spring of 2014. The two were freshmen at the time, heading back to campus around 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2014.
According to Miles, a group of men and women emerged from the nearby parking garage as they passed and began to follow the two girls while yelling threats. Miles said she took out her phone to dial 911, realizing she and her roommate were outnumbered completely.
“They grabbed my roommate by her hair and pulled her towards the parking garage,” Miles said. “I began to rush towards her. I couldn’t get to her because from the corner of my eye, I saw another girl running at me. She grabbed me by my hair and dragged me into the street, opposite my roommate.”
Miles said her attacker began to punch her face and chest, and she turned over to protect herself while also dropping her cell phone. Her attacker picked up her phone and ran off with the group, and Miles said she could hear them laughing.
Without a way to contact anyone, Miles and Feinman returned to the friends’ house they had just left from. Miles fainted shortly after telling her friends what had happened and regained consciousness when the police and ambulance arrived.
“We were the first attacked, and as the night progressed, more students came into the ER with injuries and stories worse than ours,” Miles said.
The University Police Department (UPD) spoke with the girls at their dorm the next day, but according to Miles, they were never contacted again. Miles said she spoke with the counseling center for personal support, but was worried by the lack of communication with the student body to make them aware.
“I voiced I was concerned that there was no letter or email to the students; there was no B-Alert about the incident,” Miles said. “There was absolutely nothing.”
A counselor advised Miles to set up a meeting with Dean of Students April Thompson to address the lack of communication with the student body and to see if there was a way to help students stay safe.
“I was told they advised students to be cautious at the bottom of B-Line,” she said. “Completely dissatisfied, I told her incoming students should also be aware, as well as the parents during freshman orientation.”
Thompson asked Miles if she would be willing to speak with new students at orientation, and she immediately agreed. But after the initial conversation, no further efforts were made.
Miles decided to transfer schools, and left BU for Hofstra University after the fall 2014 semester. She said that the assault was not the main reason for her change, but it created a sense of general unease and discomfort for her. She said that when she went to the Dean of Students Office to finalize her transfer application approval, they did not recognize her.
“I entered Binghamton with pride and love for the prestige of the University; I left discouraged and completely disappointed,” Miles said. “I found better opportunity and happiness at Hofstra University, but as these stories come to surface and remain neglected, I relive the pain and dissatisfaction.”
Becca Lisoski, one of the three students attacked on Saturday night and a senior majoring in business administration, said she and her friends have been facing similar dead-ends within the administration. When asking for more support from the University, they have been met with inconclusive answers.
“Basically everything we’ve requested for help with in regards to changing patrolling or if the University would get more involved, the answer is always that it’s not possible, or that we need to talk to someone in a higher position.”
Pipe Dream reached out repeatedly to UPD and Thompson after learning of the incident, but did not receive a response from either.
Miles initially shared her story with Lisoski and Alyssa Lebowitz, who was also attacked on Saturday night. According to Lisoski, Miles’ story showed that students have been left in the dark about issues in the surrounding community.
“Alyssa and I were heartbroken when Juliana came to us with her story,” Lisoski said. “It was immediately clear that there must have been many other incidents that were not properly addressed. It was definitely discouraging to hear that her story was pushed under the rug and positive change never occurred despite her strongest efforts.”
Miles said she was disappointed to learn of other attacks on students, and that a lack of reform and aid from the administration will only cause further detriment to the student body.
“Two years have passed since that night, and sadly nothing has changed, and students are facing the same obstacles I did,” Miles said. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”