Grad Students Report Indecent Exposure

An unidentified man allegedly exposed himself to a Harvard graduate student in front of the Cronkhite Graduate Center Wednesday night, according to Harvard University Police.

Wednesday's incident was the latest in a series of similar episodes that have taken place on campus in the past month, said Harvard Police Chief Paul E.Johnson. Police speculate that the same man is involved.

Johnson said he does not know exactly how many incidents have occurred but said that the department is investigating two.

In the latest incident, a graduate student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she was walking down Brattle Street at 9.10 p.m. when she noticed a man turn in to the bushes.

"It was raining and dark and I saw this man turn, but he had turned into the bushes with nowhere to go," said the student, who said she is enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The student said the man exposed himself to her as she passed the bushes. "I saw the man take off his jacket, unzip his pants, and masturbate in front of me," she said

The woman told the man that she would call the police if he didn't leave," but he didn't seem upset," she said.

When the police arrived, they searched the area, but the man had already left, Johnson said.

"We found no signs of the exposing man, but we have a suspicion that it was someone local," Johnson said.

The graduate student described the alleged flasher as a white male, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

The student said the incident was not threatening, but very unpleasant.

A similar incident was reported in front of Currier House on October 20, said Deborah Foster, Senior Tutor for Currier House.

A resident tutor at Currier House said that a man came up to her window from the Currier courtyard and pulled down his pants, Foster said.

"She observed the fact, walked to the phone and called me and the masters," Foster said.