TJC Officials: Sexual Assault Allegation Unfounded

TYLER — The report of an alleged sexual assault on the Tyler Junior College campus over the weekend has proved to be inaccurate and unfounded, TJC officials said Wednesday. New federal guidelines require campus police to send out emergency notifications first and investigate later whenever a potential threat to safety arises. Therefore, TJC immediately released a campus-wide alert through its emergency notification system Sunday evening, even as facts were still being gathered. College officials say further investigation by campus police revealed the sexual assault allegation to be unfounded. According to a TJC news release, following a thorough review of evidence acquired through additional interviews and footage from campus surveillance cameras, it was confirmed that no sexual assault occurred.

“I am proud of the professionalism of our campus police who take the safety of our students, visitors and employees very seriously,” TJC President Dr. Mike Metke said. “I was pleased by both their initial response and their ability to investigate and produce a factual finding in a short period of time that there was no sexual assault on the TJC campus.”

Metke added that TJC has taken every measure possible to provide for the utmost security and safety of its students and employees. “It’s been my goal to make sure TJC is the kind of college I’d want my children and eventually, my grandchildren, to attend as their first choice in higher education,” he said. “I feel stronger than ever that TJC is the best choice and best value available for them and for all the people TJC serves.”