Police, DA’s Office Provide Details On Simon’s Rock Assault

The investigation into the reported assault at Bard College at Simon’s Rock continues.

Campus Safety received a call shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, September 27, for a report that a student of color was assaulted in a wooded area on campus. The student was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center, treated for minor injuries and released.

The investigation remains open, however, given the unease that the complaint has caused for the community, particularly for Simon’s Rock students and faculty, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and Great Barrington Police department are providing the following details:

The student informed investigators that the student was rendered unconscious and dragged approximately 75 yards into the woods. The student reported later waking with cuts through the student’s clothing, resulting in cuts to the student’s torso.

·         The ground in the area of which the student was reportedly dragged consisted of a wooden path, dirt and mud.

·         The student’s clothing, shoes, hair and body did not have any dirt or debris on them.

·         The superficial wounds on the student’s torso did not align with the cuts on the student’s clothing.

·         There were no defensive wounds on the complainant.

·         Records provided thus far do not provide a medical reason for unconsciousness.

·         Investigators conducted three interviews of the student.

·         No description of the alleged assailant was provided to investigators during any of the interviews.

·         No surveillance footage of the area is available.

·         None of the witnesses in the area at the time reported seeing any other potentially involved parties in the vicinity.

Investigators from the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with Great Barrington Police, conducted numerous interviews, searched the grounds, searched electronics, and sent items to the State Police Crime Lab for forensic testing.

Investigators are looking into all aspects of the case, from the nature of the original complaint to potential motivations behind the alleged assault. The investigation remains ongoing by law enforcement and forensic testing has yet to be finalized.

A significant amount of resources have been devoted to the complaint. The investigation involves multiple law enforcement agencies including Great Barrington Police, Simon’s Rock Campus Safety, the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and forensic scientists assigned to the State Police Crime Lab. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has been notified due to the potential racial motives for the alleged attack.

Anyone with additional information that can aid in the investigation is asked to contact Great Barrington Police at 413-528-0306.