By Tasnim Oyshi
Editorialist
Choosing a college is one of the hardest decisions you can make, particularly when thousands of dollars fuel your choice and you’ve barely had real world experience. When teenagers choose the colleges they will spend their next four years at, they’re picking where they will build connections, learn about their future career and become independent.
College essentially becomes somewhat of a second home. Thus, it is the responsibility of colleges and universities to meet certain requirements. Of course, the pedagogy of professors and the quality of dorms matter. However, what is equally important is safety.
On Aug. 24, Rutgers-New Brunswick’s Dean of Research at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Josh Kohut was arrested for allegedly taking inappropriate videos on his phone while working there. He is being accused of recording “upskirt” videos with his phone without the knowledge of the victim, according to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
Rutgers has taken action by putting Kohut on an administrative leave and banning him from the campus. Despite this, his faculty page is still up on Rutgers’ website. Kohut’s case is clearly problematic because of the invasive crime that he is alleged to have committed.
The situation is made worse, however, by the fact that he had been working at the school since 2002 and teaching students there since 2008. While it is unfortunately not abnormal to find bad people in places of power with longstanding careers, it does spark questions about how long they have been getting away with such actions and what else they have been doing.
Kohut’s case is not finished yet and under the legal system, he’s innocent until proven guilty. Nonetheless, this type of situation can certainly occur. No one should ever have to worry about being filmed inappropriately. With the advancement of technology, this issue seems to be growing.
A New York Times article about the arrest concluded with a concern from George Washington University law professor Mary-Anne Franks. She spoke about how progressing technology and hidden cameras like Deepfake generators and Meta glasses are “normalizing sexual surveillance.”
“Until our society actually begins to meaningfully address the root causes of voyeurism and sexual exploitation—misogyny and entitlement—these abuses will continue to flourish,” she told the Times.
At a place meant for the pursuit of higher education, voyeurism and cyber sexual crimes should not become regular worries. When students are entrusting colleges with their livelihoods, colleges should take care to do proper background checks on who they’re hiring.
Perhaps stricter punishments for taking “upskirt” videos should be in order or maybe colleges should invest in more training for their faculty that addresses such subjects. Every college and university should ensure that students can feel safe walking around campus and interacting with the people hired.
It is understandable that not every single creep or pervert can be caught by colleges taking precaution. Nonetheless, it is up to the colleges to be transparent with their students and learn from the situation. When something like Kohut’s case happens, colleges should take it as a lesson to take the best measures possible to keep students safe.
