For immediate concerns, if you believe you or someone else may be in danger to themselves or others, call Simmons Public Safety at 617-521-1111.
Simmons administration held discussions with faculty surrounding student resources for mental health after an April act of vandalism by a student in a campus art studio. No communication following the initial email from the Office of the President has been sent out regarding the situation or resources as of publication.
Before the vandalism, the student had aired out various grievances within multiple emails obtained by the Voice that fellow students and faculty were copied onto. One email, sent to their classmates days before the vandalism, noted their “distrust in authority and those who exercise it over others” and that it was something they felt “should be voiced.”
In early March, another email was sent by the student to several members of the faculty regarding the “failure of Simmons” when it comes to academic accommodations.
Classmates and friends of the student said that they participated in activism around the city, often making it their main priority.
In an email sent April 10, four days after the vandalism was well-known throughout the Simmons community, the Office of the President confirmed it was immediately removed. An investigation was opened and is ongoing by the Simmons University Police Department, with relevant conduct procedures being emphasized.
President Wooten stressed how vandalism on campus is intolerable, saying it undermines the mission and core values of Simmons.
In a statement to the Simmons Voice in April, Police Chief and Public Safety Director Paul Lombardo said “We are taking the matter very seriously. We are working very closely with student affairs. Our main concern is always the safety of our community. At this point, we believe we know what occurred and there is no threat to the safety of the Simmons community.”
In the Daily Crime Log provided by Simmons Public Safety, the range of the incident was between April 4 at 10:00 a.m. to April 7 at 10:00 a.m. Although the Simmons Police perform patrols often, they do not necessarily enter every room, leaving room for question.
Since then, faculty has been updated on protocols and conduct to follow if students present themselves as being a danger to themselves or others, covered mainly at an April 16 all-college faculty meeting.
The faculty meeting, according to current Senate President Cathie Mercier and President-elect Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield respectively, was pre-scheduled and briefly touched on the vandalism itself. These meetings are frequent, primarily focusing on the state of the university – the main focus of the meeting was academic updates along with a summary of the past year.
Faculty for the most part were referred to President Wooten’s letter to the community. Confidentiality was maintained for students and faculty involved, along with aftermath and legal ramifications, according to Mercier and Roecklein-Canfield.
The faculty meeting discussed ways for students in need to receive help as well, specifically through the Campus Assessment, Response and Evaluation (CARE) Team at Simmons.
Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students Rae-Anne Butera elaborated on the process in an interview. Anyone who goes on the website can submit concerns of any kind to an online form, ranging from depression to misuse of drugs to atypical student behavior. Faculty associated with the student can raise a “flag” via Starfish. Each of these processes result in the same action, being taken in and looked at by the CARE Team. From there, the team proceeds to attempt outreach three times to the student.
Even if students do not reach back out to the CARE Team, the initial outreach email includes resources such as the Simmons Counseling Center or the REEF Center. This allows the student of concern to have a reference of what is available to them when they reach out for help. According to Butera, this information is shared in Simmons 100 classes, an introductory course that teaches new students the full scope of resources Simmons has to offer.
Friends of the student said that they were not aware of the form until after the vandalism occurred, with pictures and posts circulating around Yik Yak.
Butera addressed the uptick in using Yik Yak to discuss student affairs.
“Social media concerns me a lot. Sometimes people talk about things on these platforms like absolutely positive they’re saying something that’s true,” said Butera in an interview with the Voice. “Especially anonymous platforms, they can do a lot of damage…That’s why I tell students to come talk to me about what you’re seeing go on because maybe we need to put out another message.”
Please note the following student and faculty resources:
Simmons Counseling Center: please visit their website here
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline can be reached by calling or texting 988 or visiting their website to talk to an online counselor.
In order to protect the privacy and safety of those involved, The Voice Editorial Team has decided to keep the identity of the student and other students involved anonymous.
CORRECTION: June 9, 2025
A previous version of this article stated that the vandalism occurred at the Trustman Art Gallery. It occurred in a nearby art studio, not the gallery itself. All other content of the article remains the same.
