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Reported unlawful sexual contact during a campus field event prompts a safety alert

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CU Boulder issued a CU Safety Alert after a reported unlawful sexual contact during an event on Farrand Field between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. MST on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The alert gave a detailed clothing-based suspect description and a CUPD case number while disclosing nothing about the victim, illustrating the Clery Act's balance between actionable warning and survivor privacy.

Alerts
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Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Colorado Boulder
Public R1 · CO
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~39,000 studentsCU Safety Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how CU Boulder says it will use CU Boulder Alerts: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2834 chars
[11:29 a.m. Saturday, November 16, 2024] CUPD is investigating a reported incident of unlawful sexual contact that occurred during an event on Farrand Field between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16. Police are searching for the suspect. The suspect is described as a 25 to 30 year old male, dark brown or black hair, longer on top and faded short hair on the sides. The suspect is clean-shaven, wearing a silver windbreaker jacket, possibly a shimmery, metallic material. The suspect was carrying a black phone with a red case. View a map of the location of this incident. CUPD is investigating. Anyone with information regarding this crime or the suspect’s location is encouraged to contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666, reference case number 2024-2329. If you wish to share information anonymously, information on how to contact Safe2Tell, Don’t Ignore It or Colorado Crime Stoppers is available on the CUPD website: https://www.colorado.edu/police/records-reports/anonymous-reporting If additional information becomes available regarding this incident, it will be added to the CU Boulder Alerts website:  https://alerts.colorado.edu/ CU Boulder’s Division of Public Safety provides security support for all large events held on campus. In an emergency, please call 911 to be routed to the DPS communications center. To learn more about prevention, support resources and reporting options, go to our comprehensive website which includes how to look out for and support others: https://www.colorado.edu/dontignoreit/ Campus Safety Information This message is being sent pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”), a federal law that requires disclosure of major crime and policy information. For more information on the Clery Act and CU Boulder’s policies, please see the Clery website. Help fight crime by reporting suspicious persons or activity to CUPD immediately. Please note that CU Boulder's Police Department is committed to ensuring that individuals' identities/protected class are not considered the basis for suspicion; only the reported behaviors are taken into consideration when investigating a case. Additionally, the observed/assumed sex assignment placed in alerts is not intended to be definitive or prescriptive. We will continue to put forth efforts to minimize and eliminate the potential harms placed on our community as a result of this action. If you have experienced a traumatic incident, you have options for services and assistance. For free and confidential support please contact CU Boulder’s Office of Victim Assistance (OVA), https://www.colorado.edu/ova/ 303-492-8855 (24/7 phone support). OVA is a resource for those impacted by a traumatic experience as well as for witnesses and those supporting impacted people.
Verify this quote
CU Boulder Alerts official archive, page titled 'CU Safety Alert: Reported Unlawful Sexual Contact on Farrand Field', November 16, 2024alerts.colorado.edufind archived copies
Detailed suspect description (clothing, hair, even a phone-case color) but zero victim detail, the asymmetry is the whole point of a sex-offense timely warning
Uses the Colorado statutory term 'unlawful sexual contact' rather than colloquial language, keeping the legal framing precise
Tight incident window (8:30-9:10 a.m. MST) is given because the event context made it knowable without identifying the victim
Offers three separate anonymous reporting channels (Safe2Tell, Don't Ignore It, Colorado Crime Stoppers), lowering the barrier to tips
Includes a CUPD case number (2024-2329), letting witnesses route information precisely
Audit 2026-10-12: verbatim text replaced with the notice body from the live page. Page title, h1, and site chrome are not included.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 4.8 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

[11:29 a.m. Saturday, November 16, 2024] CUPD is investigating a reported incident of unlawful sexual contact that occurred during an event on Farrand Field between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16. Police are searching for the suspect. The suspect is described as a 25 to 30 year old male, dark brown or black hair, longer on top and faded short hair on the sides. The suspect is clean-shaven, wearing a silver windbreaker jacket, possibly a shimmery, metallic material. The suspect was carrying a black phone with a red case. View a map of the location of this incident. CUPD is investigating. Anyone with information regarding this crime or the suspect’s location is encouraged to contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666, reference case number 2024-2329. If you wish to share information anonymously, information on how to contact Safe2Tell, Don’t Ignore It or Colorado Crime Stoppers is available on the CUPD website: https://www.colorado.edu/police/records-reports/anonymous-reporting If additional information becomes available regarding this incident, it will be added to the CU Boulder Alerts website:  https://alerts.colorado.edu/ CU Boulder’s Division of Public Safety provides security support for all large events held on campus. In an emergency, please call 911 to be routed to the DPS communications center. To learn more about prevention, support resources and reporting options, go to our comprehensive website which includes how to look out for and support others: https://www.colorado.edu/dontignoreit/ Campus Safety Information This message is being sent pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”), a federal law that requires disclosure of major crime and policy information. For more information on the Clery Act and CU Boulder’s policies, please see the Clery website. Help fight crime by reporting suspicious persons or activity to CUPD immediately. Please note that CU Boulder's Police Department is committed to ensuring that individuals' identities/protected class are not considered the basis for suspicion; only the reported behaviors are taken into consideration when investigating a case. Additionally, the observed/assumed sex assignment placed in alerts is not intended to be definitive or prescriptive. We will continue to put forth efforts to minimize and eliminate the potential harms placed on our community as a result of this action. If you have experienced a traumatic incident, you have options for services and assistance. For free and confidential support please contact CU Boulder’s Office of Victim Assistance (OVA), https://www.colorado.edu/ova/ 303-492-8855 (24/7 phone support). OVA is a resource for those impacted by a traumatic experience as well as for witnesses and those supporting impacted people.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous that the sender is identified: the "CU Safety Alert" signature and "CUPD".

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The signature "CU Safety Alert" and "CUPD" identify the sender.
    2. present: It opens "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender.
    3. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender.
    4. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD" as the investigating authority.
    5. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD".
    6. present: It names "CUPD" and the branded "CU Safety Alert."
    7. present: It names "CUPD" and the signature "CU Safety Alert", identifying the sender.
    8. present: Branded tag "CU Safety Alert" and "CUPD".
    9. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender.
    10. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender and authority.
    11. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" branding and names "CUPD".
    12. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD".
    13. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender.
    14. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender and authority.
    15. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD," identifying sender.
    16. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD" investigating.
    17. present: The signature "CU Safety Alert" plus "CUPD" identifies the sender and authority.
    18. present: It opens "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the source.
    19. present: It names "CU Safety Alert" and "CUPD", identifying sender and authority.
    20. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD", identifying the sender.
    21. present: It names "CUPD" and opens with branded tag "CU Safety Alert".
    22. present: The branded "CU Safety Alert" plus "CUPD" identifies the source.
    23. present: The "CU Safety Alert" signature and "CUPD" identify the sender and authority.
    24. present: The branded "CU Safety Alert" and "CUPD" identify the sender.
    25. present: It opens with "CU Safety Alert" and names "CUPD."
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous that a specific crime is named: "Unlawful Sexual Contact".

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific crime.
    2. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    3. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    4. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific crime.
    5. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific crime.
    6. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact," a specific threat.
    7. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    8. present: Names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    9. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    10. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    11. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    12. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    13. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    14. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    15. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact," a specific threat.
    16. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    17. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific crime.
    18. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    19. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    20. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    21. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    22. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    23. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact," a specific threat.
    24. present: It states "Unlawful Sexual Contact", a specific threat.
    25. present: It names "Unlawful Sexual Contact," a specific threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous that the location is given: "on Farrand Field".

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field".
    2. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field".
    3. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a specific place.
    4. present: It names "Farrand Field" as the location.
    5. present: It cites "Farrand Field".
    6. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field."
    7. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a specific place.
    8. present: Specifies "Farrand Field".
    9. present: It specifies "Farrand Field".
    10. present: It names "Farrand Field", a specific location.
    11. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a named place.
    12. present: It specifies "Farrand Field".
    13. present: It says "on Farrand Field", a specific location.
    14. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a specific named place.
    15. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field."
    16. present: It names "Farrand Field", a specific location.
    17. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a named place.
    18. present: It specifies "Farrand Field", a specific location.
    19. present: It names "Farrand Field", a specific place.
    20. present: It says "on Farrand Field", a specific place.
    21. present: It specifies "Farrand Field".
    22. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field".
    23. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field" during an event.
    24. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field", a named place.
    25. present: It locates it "on Farrand Field."
  • Guidancepresent19/25

    Final assessment

    Present by majority: most reads count the instruction for anyone with information to "contact CUPD" as directed action; a minority held a tip request is not general protective action.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It tells anyone with information to "contact CUPD".
    2. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666".
    3. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", a directed action.
    4. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", an instruction to recipients.
    5. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD".
    6. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD."
    7. absent: It tells those with information to contact CUPD but gives no general protective action.
    8. present: Encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD".
    9. absent: It asks for tips but gives no protective action instruction to recipients.
    10. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", an instruction to recipients.
    11. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", an action for recipients.
    12. absent: It only encourages those with information to contact CUPD, not a protective action.
    13. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", a protective action.
    14. absent: It asks anyone with information to contact CUPD, no protective action for recipients.
    15. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD," a directed action.
    16. absent: It only encourages those with information to contact CUPD; no protective action for recipients.
    17. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", a directed action.
    18. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", a directed action.
    19. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666".
    20. present: It instructs anyone with information to "contact CUPD", a recipient instruction.
    21. present: It tells anyone with information to "contact CUPD".
    22. absent: It asks those with information to contact CUPD but gives no protective action.
    23. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD," an instruction.
    24. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD", an instruction.
    25. present: It encourages anyone with information to "contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666."
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous that timing is present: "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    2. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    3. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock time and date.
    4. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock time and date.
    5. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    6. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16."
    7. present: It says "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", clock times and date.
    8. present: Gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    9. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    10. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock time and date.
    11. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    12. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    13. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock time and date.
    14. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a time and date.
    15. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16," times and date.
    16. present: It gives times, "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    17. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock time and date.
    18. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", specific times and date.
    19. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a specific time.
    20. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a date and clock times.
    21. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    22. present: It states "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16".
    23. present: It says "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16," a time and date.
    24. present: It gives "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16", a clock and date cue.
    25. present: It gives a date and time, "between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, November 16."
  • Impactpresent21/25

    Final assessment

    Present by a strong 21 to 4 majority. The alert reports an investigated incident of unlawful sexual contact during an event, explicitly conveying a harmful act committed against a person.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It reports unlawful sexual contact, an actual crime against a person conveying harm that occurred.
    2. absent: This reports unlawful sexual contact and describes a suspect but does not state explicit harm beyond naming the crime category.
    3. present: Describes a reported unlawful sexual contact, an explicit harm to a person, with a suspect at large.
    4. present: It reports an investigated unlawful sexual contact, a stated harm to a victim, conveying impact to a person.
    5. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, a stated harm to a victim, satisfying impact.
    6. present: It reports an unlawful sexual contact incident with a suspect description which is a stated harmful crime against a person.
    7. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, an actual crime causing harm to a victim, with suspect details for a timely warning.
    8. absent: Reports unlawful sexual contact and a suspect description but does not state explicit harm or severity beyond naming the crime.
    9. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, a stated criminal harm to a victim, satisfying impact.
    10. present: It reports unlawful sexual contact and describes a suspect, conveying a danger from a violent offender.
    11. present: Reports a crime of unlawful sexual contact, which is a stated harm to a victim.
    12. present: It reports an unlawful sexual contact crime with a suspect at large, describing actual harm to a victim.
    13. present: A reported unlawful sexual contact incident describes a sexual assault that occurred, conveying harm to a victim.
    14. present: Reports an unlawful sexual contact incident and seeks the suspect, conveying a real crime that harmed a victim.
    15. present: Reports an unlawful sexual contact crime with a suspect description, conveying a violation and harm to a victim.
    16. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, an actual crime causing harm to a victim, conveying impact.
    17. present: Reports an unlawful sexual contact incident, a realized harm to a victim.
    18. absent: Reports unlawful sexual contact with a suspect description but states no broader harm or ongoing danger.
    19. absent: Reports unlawful sexual contact with suspect description but states no injury or ongoing danger described.
    20. present: Describes a reported unlawful sexual contact, a stated harm to a victim.
    21. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact occurred and seeks the suspect, a stated crime against a person conveying harm.
    22. present: Reports an unlawful sexual contact incident with a suspect at large, conveying explicit harm to a person.
    23. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, a stated harm to a victim that occurred.
    24. present: Reports unlawful sexual contact, a stated crime causing harm to a victim.
    25. present: It reports unlawful sexual contact, a stated harm committed against a person.

Coded by Claude Opus 4.8

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

CU Boulder's CU Safety Alert for the November 16, 2024 Farrand Field incident is a clean example of the genre's defining asymmetry: a richly detailed suspect description paired with total silence about the victim. Because the contact occurred during a public event on a well-known campus green, CUPD could publish a tight time window and a clothing-based description without any risk of identifying the survivor. The university maintains a public CU Safety Alert archive, and the same year produced parallel unlawful-sexual-contact alerts at Colorado Ave. and Folsom St. and later at Lot 177. CU's communications office has explained its alert taxonomy publicly, distinguishing emergency notifications from Clery safety alerts (timely warnings) for sex offenses, stalking, and dating violence. The Farrand Field alert directs tips to three anonymous channels, reflecting an understanding that many community members will know something but hesitate to call police directly.
Analysis

Key Findings

Detailed suspect description with no victim information is the structural signature of a sex-offense timely warning
A public-event setting let CUPD publish a precise time window without compromising the survivor
Three anonymous reporting paths (Safe2Tell, Don't Ignore It, Crime Stoppers) broaden the tip funnel
CU Boulder issued multiple structurally identical unlawful-sexual-contact alerts in 2024-2025, showing a consistent template
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    CU Safety Alert: Reported Unlawful Sexual Contact on Farrand Field
    alerts.colorado.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    CU Safety Alert archive
    alerts.colorado.edu
    archived copy
  3. Official
    Be informed: What to know about CU Boulder alerts
    colorado.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Colorado Boulder: Reported unlawful sexual contact during a campus field event prompts a safety alert." Incident of November 16, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated October 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/cu-boulder-farrand-field-sexual-contact-2024-11-16/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
sexual-offensetimely-warningcoloradocu-bouldersuspect-descriptionde-identificationunlawful-sexual-contactpublic-r1Under Investigation
Added May 2026Updated October 2026Via ingestion