{ "id": "2024-08-23-virginia-tech-eggleston-hall-crime-alert", "slug": "virginia-tech-eggleston-hall-crime-alert-2024-08-23", "institution": { "name": "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University", "shortName": "Virginia Tech", "state": "VA", "type": "public-r1", "alertSystemName": "VT Alerts", "enrollment": 38000 }, "incident": { "date": "2024-08-23", "endDate": "2024-08-24", "type": "sexual-assault", "cleryCategory": "timely-warning", "resolution": "investigation-ongoing", "headline": "Rape reported at a residence hall prompts a Clery crime alert", "headlinePublic": "Rape reported at a residence hall prompts a Clery crime alert", "summary": "In the late hours of Friday, August 23, 2024 (the weekend before fall classes began) into the early morning hours of August 24, [a rape was reported at Main Eggleston Hall](https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/publicsafety_aug_crimealert.html) at 440 Drillfield Drive on the Virginia Tech campus. The survivor and offender met at a bar in downtown Blacksburg before returning to campus. Virginia Tech Police issued a [Clery Act timely warning](https://police.vt.edu/safety-security/sexual-violence/crimealert.html) on August 26, 2024, Virginia Tech's first sexual-assault crime alert of the 2024-2025 academic year.", "outcome": "Virginia Tech Police opened a sexual assault investigation. No suspect was publicly identified in the crime alert. The case was added to Virginia Tech's monthly crime log and 2024 Clery Annual Security Report." }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestampApprox": "August 26, 2024: Virginia Tech Police issued the timely warning two to three days after the reported incident, consistent with Clery Act timeliness requirements", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": "From: Virginia Tech Police Department\n\nOn Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, the Virginia Tech Police Department received a report of a sexual assault. The incident occurred at Main Eggleston Hall (440 Drillfield Drive) in the late hours of Aug. 23, 2024, into the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 2024. The survivor and offender met in a bar downtown before returning to campus.\n\nAs reported, this incident is being described as a rape.\n\nInformation disclosed here is limited to protect the identity, privacy, and rights of the survivor.\n\nWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?\n\nIf you report a sexual assault that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, Virginia Tech Police has officers and detectives that will work with you to arrive at a decision that is best for you and your safety. Officers are available 24/7 and can help navigate next steps and answer any questions that you may have. As the survivor of a sexual assault, you can choose to solely document the crime, or you may decide to have the offense fully investigated by law enforcement and/or the university's Title IX office. Investigations can be conducted to preserve evidence now, while taking the necessary time to determine whether you wish to seek charge(s). The Virginia Tech Police and the Title IX office, which is part of Virginia Tech's Office for Equity and Accessibility (oea.vt.edu) can investigate simultaneously. Virginia Tech Police can facilitate and support you in accessing assistance from another jurisdiction in which a crime has occurred. For more information regarding Virginia Tech Police Department's response to sexual violence, please visit: police.vt.edu/safety-security/sexual-violence.\n\nWHERE CAN I FIND HELP?\n\nThere are several committed resource options available. Please see related information at safe.vt.edu/. The website has guidance for filing anonymous or formal reports. In addition, assistance is available through the following resources:\n\nCARES Program (Campus Advocacy, Resources and Education for Survivors): 540-231-7806 | CARESupport@vt.edu l womenscenter.vt.edu/advocacy\nCook Counseling Center: 540-231-6557 | ucc.vt.edu\nWomen's Resource Center of the NRV: 24/7 Crisis Hotline 540-639-1123 | wrcnrv.org\nTitle IX Coordinator Katie Polidoro: 540-231-1824 | polidoro@vt.edu | safe.vt.edu\nDean of Students Office: 540-231-3787 | dean.students@vt.edu | dos.vt.edu\nVirginia Tech Police Department: 540-382-4343 | vtpolice@vt.edu | police.vt.edu\n\nONE COMMUNITY\n\nSexual violence is particularly prevalent and underreported among underrepresented populations, including our LGBTQIA+ and marginalized students. Sexual violence affects every population regardless of age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Virginia Tech is committed to enhancing and ensuring the safety and quality of life for our community members. The Virginia Tech Police Department is devoted to taking all reports seriously and connecting community members to their desired support resources and processes. We pride ourselves in serving our community with respect and compassion.\n\nCultural and Community Centers: 540-231-8584 | vtccc@vt.edu | ccc.vt.edu\n\nPERSONAL SAFETY AND PREVENTION\n\nKnow and respect your partner's sexual limits. Over half of reporting survivors are assaulted by an intimate partner or acquaintance.\nCommunication about boundaries and what you each are comfortable with is critical. You have the right to say \"no,\" and consent can be withdrawn at any point without the need for justification.\nIf you are unsure or the consent is unclear, ask your partner. If you feel you are crossing the line of consent or boundaries set, you most likely are, and could possibly be in violation of policies and/or laws outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and the Code of Virginia. The presence of coercion, force, or threat invalidates consent.\nAlcohol and drugs are often used to create vulnerability. Studies of sexual assault incidents show a high correlation between acquaintance rape and drug/alcohol usage. When drinking alcohol, prepare your own drinks and be aware that drugs/alcohol make it harder to process information, react, and communicate clearly. A person cannot consent while incapacitated. Examples of incapacitation include being intoxicated, asleep, drugged, or otherwise unconscious.\nAttend parties and events with friends you can trust. Look out for one another and try to leave with your group, rather than alone or with someone you do not know very well. Use a designated driver, i.e., a trusted friend, taxi, or Safe Ride.\nMake sure your friends are aware of your boundaries or norms. Making it clear that you will not leave a bar or party with someone you just met could allow your friends to be proactive in helping protect you.\nBe an active bystander for potential survivors and offenders of sexual violence. If you notice a friend that may be losing control, be ready to intervene and assist them in leaving if needed. Make sure to have a plan for how to reconnect if separated.\nBe cautious when inviting someone into your living space or accepting an invitation to theirs. Sexual assaults committed by acquaintances often occur in a residence.\nTrust your gut. If you feel uneasy or sense something is wrong, do not be afraid to be assertive or hurt someone's feelings. Do what you can to get yourself and those who may be with you out of that situation, or call for assistance. Make a scene if necessary.\nBe aware of your surroundings and avoid isolated areas. Excuse yourself from situations that make you feel uncomfortable, pressured, or threatened. Potential phrases to escape a situation could include: needing to take care of another friend, an urgent phone call, not feeling well, or needing to be somewhere at a certain time. Any attempts to keep a person in a space or area beyond their wishes, could meet the elements of abduction by the Code of Virginia.\nVirginia Tech Police offers a free self-defense course for students and employees several times a year. The four-part course begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training. Participants can engage however they are most comfortable. Click the following link for more information: police.vt.edu/programs-training.html\nSexual assault prevention is a community responsibility.\n\nHokie Wellness Sexual Violence Prevention: 540-231-4889 | hokiewellnesssvp@vt.edu | hokiewellness.vt.edu/", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/publicsafety_aug_crimealert.html", "sourceDescription": "Virginia Tech News verbatim publication of the August 26, 2024 Clery timely warning", "annotations": [ "Issued on August 26, 2024, two days after the reported incident ended in the early morning hours of August 24, 2024", "Main Eggleston Hall is one of the oldest dormitories on the Virginia Tech campus, located at 440 Drillfield Drive on the eastern edge of the Drillfield", "The alert deliberately led with a 'Content Warning', increasingly standard in Virginia Tech crime alerts since the 2022 sexual-violence-prevention initiative", "Virginia Tech distinguishes 'Crime Alerts' (Clery timely warnings for ongoing risk) from VT Alerts (emergency notifications for imminent threat); this was a Crime Alert, not a VT Alert", "2026-09-21 second deep audit b50 P4 a1-noledger-single-alert-public-case. Recapture official product at product boundary. Dual html.parser walk+regex. Cap-exempt R1." ], "characterCount": 6460 } ], "context": "On the weekend before Virginia Tech's fall 2024 classes began (they started Monday, August 26, 2024), the Virginia Tech Police Department received a report of a [rape that occurred at Main Eggleston Hall](https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/publicsafety_aug_crimealert.html) in the late hours of August 23, 2024, into the early morning hours of August 24, 2024. The [Clery Act timely warning](https://police.vt.edu/safety-security/sexual-violence/crimealert.html) (formally categorized as a 'Crime Alert' rather than a VT Alert emergency notification) was published on August 26, 2024 and distributed via Virginia Tech News, university email, and the [VTPD Crime Alerts archive](https://police.vt.edu/crime-alerts.html). The alert opened with an explicit 'Content Warning' and identified the building (Main Eggleston Hall, 440 Drillfield Drive), the rough time window (late August 23 into early August 24), and the relationship context (the survivor and offender had met at a downtown Blacksburg bar). The alert did not identify a suspect. Virginia Tech's crime-alert format had evolved significantly since the [aftermath of the 2007 mass shooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Tech_shooting), which prompted major changes to campus emergency-notification requirements across US higher education. The 2024 alert was Virginia Tech's first sexual-assault crime alert of the 2024-2025 academic year, and reflected the [content-warning-first format](https://www.president.vt.edu/strategicinterests/TaskForces/sexual-violence-prevention-initiative.html) adopted in the wake of the 2022 sexual-violence-prevention initiative. The case was added to Virginia Tech's monthly crime log and Clery Annual Security Report.", "keyFindings": [ "The crime alert opened with an explicit 'Content Warning', part of Virginia Tech's post-2022 sexual-violence-prevention format that places content advisories before the incident details", "Virginia Tech distinguishes 'Crime Alerts' (Clery timely warnings for ongoing risk) from 'VT Alerts' (emergency notifications for imminent threat), this incident triggered the former, not the latter", "The alert was issued two days after the reported incident, within the Clery Act timeliness window but later than the same-day cadence Virginia Tech uses for imminent threats" ], "sources": [ { "title": "Crime alert: Sexual assault, content warning (Virginia Tech News)", "url": "https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/publicsafety_aug_crimealert.html", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Crime Alert Example (VTPD)", "url": "https://police.vt.edu/safety-security/sexual-violence/crimealert.html", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "VTPD Crime Alerts archive", "url": "https://police.vt.edu/crime-alerts.html", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative (Office of the President)", "url": "https://www.president.vt.edu/strategicinterests/TaskForces/sexual-violence-prevention-initiative.html", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Monthly Crime Log August 2024 (VTPD)", "url": "https://police.vt.edu/content/dam/police_vt_edu/crime-logs/2024/file_202408.pdf", "type": "official-archive" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "sexual-assault", "clery-timely-warning", "crime-alert", "eggleston-hall", "drillfield", "virginia", "post-2007-protocol", "acc" ], "dateAdded": "2026-05-14", "lastUpdated": "2026-09-21", "addedBy": "ingestion" }