The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating an alleged sexual assault involving two Temple University students at an off-campus residence.
The assault occurred Sunday at the Avery, a private residential complex on North 15th Street, according to Temple Police’s daily crime logs. The two students knew each other, Temple officials said in a letter shared with students Monday evening.
This is the second report of sexual assault involving Temple University students within the past three weeks.
Another student reported being sexually assaulted at University Village, a private residential complex on the North Philadelphia campus, on Oct. 10. This case is not currently being criminally investigated, but was referred to Temple’s internal conduct code review.
“Students who are reporting a sexual assault make the decision on whether they wish to pursue criminal charges,” Temple president John Fry said in a statement released last week on the Oct. 10 case.
Temple’s reckoning with rape on college campuses comes in the wake of the Cornell 7 case. In September, a former Cornell University student sued the school and former fraternity members for an alleged sexual assault that occurred at the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024, sparking national conversations around accountability.
Like many schools across the United States, Temple announced Oct. 3 it would convene a task force on sexual assault compromised of students, faculty, and staff to review the school’s practices and make recommendations.
Since announcing the task force, Temple officials are now navigating two publicized sexual assault cases, leading Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president of student affairs, and Denise Wilhelm, chief of the Temple University Police Department, to pen the Monday letter to students reminding them of the rules of consent — “whether on a date or at events with friends.”
“Remember, if you’re unsure whether you have consent, then you don’t have it. Stop what you’re doing, ask your partner before moving forward, wait for their response and respect their choice,” officials said.
Separately, an unidentified man, not associated with the school, has been exposing himself at the Howard Gittis Student Center on North 13th Street in the heart of the North Philadelphia campus, officials said. Additional security is patrolling the student center and has been briefed on the potential suspect.