{
  "id": "2024-08-04-southern-university-new-orleans-housing-sexual-assault",
  "slug": "southern-university-new-orleans-housing-sexual-assault-2024-08-04",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Southern University at New Orleans",
    "shortName": "SUNO",
    "state": "LA",
    "type": "hbcu",
    "alertSystemName": "SUNO Police Department Crime Alert",
    "enrollment": 2500
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-08-04",
    "type": "sexual-assault",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "headline": "Sexual assault report, August 4, 2024",
    "summary": "On August 4, 2024, [Southern University at New Orleans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_University_at_New_Orleans) issued Timely Warning 24-002TW for a sexual assault that occurred in SUNO Housing. The suspect -- a male student known to the survivor -- assaulted a resident in their own residence. The [SUNO Police Department](https://www.suno.edu/page/campus-police-suno-and-community-resources) and the New Orleans Police Department conducted a joint investigation into the incident.",
    "outcome": "New Orleans Police Department and SUNO Police Department were both investigating the report. The suspect was identified as a male student known to the survivor. No public arrest was reported.",
    "resolution": "under-investigation"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "August 4, 2024, within 24 to 48 hours of the incident as required by SUNO police policy; exact issuance time not publicly reported",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "CRIME ALERT\nSEXUAL ASSAULT INCIDENT\nThe New Orleans and Southern University at New Orleans Police Departments are investigating a report of\nSexual Assault by a student. A resident was sexually assaulted in their residence in SUNO Housing.\n\nThe suspect is a male student and is known to the survivor.\n\nThis information is being released in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security\nPolicy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities that participate in\nfederal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective\ncampuses, including timely warnings of crimes that may represent a serious or ongoing threat to the safety of\nstudents or employees.\n\nSAFETY TIP: The Southern University at New Orleans Police Department reminds all community members of the\nfollowing information about sexual assault. Note that this information is general in nature and does not\nnecessarily relate to any specific incident.\n\n    We should always \"Start by believing.\"\n    Survivors are never responsible for the offenders' behavior.\n    The most common type of sexual assault is not by a stranger but by someone the survivor knows, typically a\n    date or acquaintance.\n    Alcohol and drugs are often used to create vulnerability to sexual assault. Studies of sexual assault incidents\n    show a high correlation between acquaintance rape and drug/alcohol usage. Be alert to people pressuring\n    you or others to use alcohol or other drugs.\n    Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy or sense something is wrong, do what you can to get out of that\n    situation or call for assistance.\n    Use and encourage others to have a companion or a safe means of getting home, i.e., a trusted friend, taxi, or\n    Safe Ride if available.\n    Be active in supporting a safe and respectful community. If you see others engaging in disrespectful or\n    inappropriate actions, speak up and get involved, or contact someone else to assist. If you engage in sexual\n    activity, be sure you understand your partner's limits and clearly communicate your limits. Don't engage in\n    sexual activities without affirmative consent from your partner.\n    If you have imminent concerns for the safety of others, call the police to ask for assistance.\n\nAll residents, students, faculty, and staff should remember that safety is everyone's responsibility, and all\nsuspicious activity should be reported to SUNO Police Department at 504-286-3355.\n                                  #SUNO Safe                    #SUNO Strong.\nSUNO Police Department is providing this notice of a criminal incident (s) that occurred in our community in order to provide\ninformation that may help in avoiding a similar crime or provide information to solve this crime. Contact your SUNO Police\nDepartment if you have any information regarding this incident or any other incident. Call 911 (emergency) or 286-5290\n(non-emergency).",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://public.powerdms.com/sunopd/documents/3233691",
      "sourceDescription": "SUNO PD Crime Alert PDF (PowerDMS document 3233691)",
      "annotations": [
        "The alert identifier '24-002TW' indicates this was the second timely warning issued by SUNO in calendar year 2024 -- a numbered-series format that provides a simple public record of notification frequency",
        "The 'resident was sexually assaulted in their residence in SUNO Housing' framing places the crime squarely on Clery-covered property (on-campus residential facilities)",
        "The 'suspect is a male student and is known to the survivor' disclosure signals no stranger is at large, consistent with the acquaintance-assault pattern typical in campus residential settings",
        "SUNO policy requires the Chief of Police or designee to confer with administrators, legal counsel, and surrounding law enforcement after a violent crime occurs or a crime deemed to represent a continuing threat, and disseminate timely warning information within 24 to 48 hours",
        "Joint investigation with NOPD reflects SUNO's location in New Orleans and its standard inter-agency protocol for on-campus crimes involving student suspects"
      ],
      "characterCount": 2983
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Clery Act | Timely Warnings/Crime Alert Bulletins -- Southern University at New Orleans",
      "url": "https://www.suno.edu/page/crime-alert",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "CRIME ALERT CRIME ALERT CRIME ALERT -- SUNO Police Department (PowerDMS)",
      "url": "https://public.powerdms.com/sunopd/documents/3233691",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "SUNO and Community Resources -- Southern University at New Orleans",
      "url": "https://www.suno.edu/page/campus-police-suno-and-community-resources",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "Jeanne Clery Act -- Southern University at New Orleans",
      "url": "http://www.suno.edu/page/jeanne-clery-act",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    }
  ],
  "context": "[Southern University at New Orleans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_University_at_New_Orleans) is a public HBCU with approximately 2,500 students, part of the [Southern University System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_University_System), and is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. On August 4, 2024, SUNO's police department issued Timely Warning 24-002TW for a sexual assault that occurred in SUNO Housing. The suspect was a male student known to the survivor, who was sexually assaulted in their own campus residence. Per SUNO's [Clery Act policy](http://www.suno.edu/page/jeanne-clery-act), the SUNO Police Department is required to confer with administrators, legal counsel, and surrounding law enforcement agencies after a violent crime occurs and to disseminate timely warning information within 24 to 48 hours. The [New Orleans Police Department](https://www.suno.edu/page/campus-police-suno-and-community-resources) joined the SUNO Police Department in the investigation, reflecting standard inter-agency coordination for on-campus incidents at an urban institution. SUNO's [crime alert bulletin system](https://www.suno.edu/page/crime-alert) uses a numbered series -- 24-002TW indicates the second timely warning of 2024 -- providing a simple publicly accessible record of notification frequency. SUNO also maintains a [Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)](https://www.suno.edu/page/sexual-assault-response-team) to support survivors of sexual violence on campus.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "SUNO's numbered timely warning series (24-002TW = second timely warning of 2024) provides a transparent public record of notification frequency -- an underappreciated compliance transparency feature",
    "The joint NOPD-SUNO investigation reflects standard urban HBCU campus policing practice where campus and city police share jurisdiction over on-campus incidents",
    "The 'male student known to the survivor' disclosure is the standard Clery acquaintance-assault formula, signaling no stranger is at large while still triggering mandatory Clery notification",
    "SUNO's 24-to-48-hour timely warning issuance policy (as stated in its Clery policy) is at the outer limit of what Clery Act guidance considers 'timely' -- a compliance note worth tracking"
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "sexual-assault",
    "timely-warning",
    "southern-university-new-orleans",
    "hbcu",
    "louisiana",
    "new-orleans",
    "residence-hall",
    "acquaintance-assault",
    "clery-act",
    "public-hbcu"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-17",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}