Beyond the Blotter: Disorderly conduct reported in bathrooms on campus
By Ralston Rollo/Daily Toreador
An unknown male suspect allegedly looked into occupied bathroom stalls Tuesday on the third floor of Murdough Residence Hall, but it’s not the first time such an incident has occurred this semester.
A similar offense was reported March 12 that occurred in the multi-gender bathroom in the Human Sciences building and involved an unknown male suspect who was reported engaging in the same activity.
Col. Gordon Hoffman, deputy chief of the Texas Tech Police Department, said he does not believe the offenses are related due to differing suspect descriptions, although the specific events reported are rare.
Similar offenses have been uncommon in the past at Tech and witnesses are strongly encouraged to report an accurate description of the suspect and the incident immediately to the police, Hoffman said.
“We rely heavily on witnesses,” he said. “(Their accounts) are necessary, sometimes, to break the case.”
The offense is referred to as “disorderly conduct,” Hoffman said, and is considered a class C misdemeanor, according to Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 (a)(11)(C).
According to the code, “a person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly … for a lewd or unlawful purpose ... while on the premises of a public place, looks into an area such as a restroom or shower stall or changing or dressing room that is designed to provide privacy to a person using the area.”
The offense is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500, Hoffman said.
Disorderly conduct is not punishable by imprisonment unless it involves a firearm, he said, in which case the offense would be considered a class B misdemeanor and could warrant imprisonment.
Hoffman said both cases of disorderly conduct are being investigated by police and there is no indication of whether the suspects were Tech students.
This is why coed bathrooms are just a bad idea. People (men) can't be trusted to behave properly. I've never understood the desire to have these things in the first place. Sure, the prospect of seeing hot girls get out of the shower is enticing but for the most part I don't want anyone observing me in my bathroom environment, much less a female. I remember on 'Boy Meets World' they had coed bathrooms and I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. I had no idea such things really went on and if they did I would have thought it would have been at Cal-Berkley not Texas Tech. So let's do away with multi-gender bathrooms (unless it's a one seater and you've got a hell of a lock.)
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