U. student says three workers harassed her

A female University student said yesterday that three University City Associates employees sexually harassed her on Superblock Thursday afternoon and that their supervisor tried to bully her into not pressing charges. College senior Therisa Rogers said three employees sitting on a bench between High Rise North and High Rise East shouted obscene and anti-gay comments at her at about 4 p.m. Thursday. After notifying University police, who took the men into custody, Rogers met with Victim Support Services Director Ruth Wells to find out what action she could take against them. Rogers said a University City Associates supervisor came to the police headquarters, met with the men and then tried to convince her not to press charges. She said the supervisor tried to blame the incident on her, saying she had "partied" with them the night before at a local bar. Rogers said yesterday she had never met the men before. She said he also told her not press charges because one of the men involved in the incident is retarded and harmless. "I think he was trying to get me to drop charges and intimidate me and I told him so," she said, adding she is considering filing charges against him as well. "I felt it was apalling for a University employee to talk to a student that was already scared and blame it on her." University City Associates officials could not be readched for comment. University spokesperson Sylvia Canada said UCA employee William Oliphant went to the station along with the supervisor. Oliphant declined to comment yesterday. Canada said two of the me were released on their own recognizance and one was released in Oliphant's custody. The supervisor does not work directly for the University. The University's real estate department uses University City Associates to manage some of its property. Rogers said she has not filed charges against the men. She said Wells told her the University would charge the men under its harassment policy. But Rogers said if the University does not punish the men, she will file criminal charges. "If the University's going to take serious action then I won't need to," she said. "But if the University is going to sweep this under the rug, I will file criminal charges." (***EDS NOTE : Clarification - the 3 were not criminally charged) University Police identified the three men as Alfred Knight, 62, of the 3900 block of Chestnut Street; William Guy, 31, of 4260 Chestnut Street; and Preston Butler 31, of 123 South 39th Street. Rogers said she was walking between High Rise North and High Rise East when the three men started shouting profanities at her. She said one of them called her a "faggot" and asked her if she had been out partying the night before. She said she did nothing to suggest that she was gay. "I hadn't done anything or said anything that would indicate I was a homosexual," she said. "For whatever reason, they chose to say this. It was a really sexist and homophobic thing." She said a recent report of assault against gay-rights activist Darren Rosenblum made her concerned the men might become violent. "I was frightened," she said. "When I hear somebody say 'Fuck you, faggot,' I think they're going to hurt me," she said.

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