A woman reported being sexually assaulted by a man just after midnight outside a residence hall on Tulane University's Uptown campus, prompting campus police to issue a warning to students and launch a search for the suspect. The man is described as college-aged, white, standing roughly 5'7 to 5'8, with brown hair, and was last seen wearing a black shirt and blue jeans.
According to WDSU, Tulane University Police advised students to travel well-lit, busy routes whenever possible and to stay aware of their surroundings at all times following the report. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Tulane University Police Department at 504-865-5381 or the New Orleans Police Department at 504-821-2222. The investigation remains ongoing, and it is not yet known whether TUPD or NOPD detectives have identified the suspect or whether campus surveillance footage has produced any leads.
Late-Night Safety Resources Highlighted
Police also reminded students that late-night campus transportation is available by calling 504-314-SAFE, in addition to escorts offered directly by TUPD, as reported by WWL-TV. The alert to the campus community was distributed under the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires colleges receiving federal funding to issue timely warnings whenever a reported crime poses a serious or ongoing threat, per the Clery Center. Tulane's own public safety policy requires these Timely Warning Notifications to go out automatically to students, faculty, and staff via email and text alerts whenever an on-campus crime presents an ongoing security risk.
TUPD operates as a full-service law enforcement agency staffed by commissioned officers certified under Louisiana Peace Officer Standards of Training, functioning independently from but in coordination with city police, according to Tulane Admission. The department provides 24-hour patrols across both the Uptown and Downtown campuses. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:43.1, sexual battery is classified as a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspended sentence, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
A Pattern the Campus Has Confronted Before
Sunday's report adds to a history of reported assaults tied to Tulane's residence halls. During the Fall 2024 semester alone, TUPD logged five reported cases of sexual assault or sexual battery between mid-August and mid-October, including one reported inside an Uptown residence hall on October 9, according to The Tulane Hullabaloo. Campus crime logs indicate that a significant share of reported Uptown incidents happen inside residential buildings.
The university's own climate surveys have tracked a troubling trend. Results from Tulane's 2022 Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey found that 30% of female-identifying undergraduate respondents reported experiencing rape during their time at the university, up from 24% in the 2017 survey, the student newspaper reported. A separate 2017 survey, Tulane's Wave of Change study, found that alcohol was involved in the majority of reported student sexual assault cases, with 74% of female undergraduates and 87% of male undergraduates saying they were incapacitated by alcohol when they were assaulted.
Prevention Efforts and Legal Support Continue
In response to the 2022 findings, Tulane launched its All In 2.0 strategic plan in 2023, expanding prevention, education, and victim support programs that build on a safety initiative first established in 2018, per the university. Separately, a Louisiana law that took effect earlier this month expanded sexual assault survivors' access to certified facility dogs during law enforcement interviews and court proceedings, a measure aimed at reducing trauma during criminal investigations, according to WWL-TV.
The case is the latest to draw attention to how Tulane's campus and Louisiana courts handle sexual assault allegations. Hoodline previously reported on a settlement dispute involving a Tulane football player who had been cleared by the university's Title IX office before enrolling. For now, the man involved in Sunday's reported assault remains unidentified, and TUPD and NOPD are continuing to seek tips from anyone who may have information.
