New York University sophomore Eloni Belcher says she was left feeling unsafe and unsupported after a shocking incident in her Broome Street dorm, raising serious questions about how the university handles campus safety concerns.
On April 12, around 5:26 a.m., Belcher said she woke up to find her roommate, apparently intoxicated, urinating on her arms while she slept.
“I was freaked out — so I got up, and I said, ‘What are you doing?’ and then she says, ‘Oh, sorry,’” Belcher recalled. She immediately cleaned herself, her mattress, and her sheets, describing the smell as “rancid.”
Despite immediately alerting NYU’s Department of Campus Safety and following up with multiple offices, Belcher said the university failed to provide meaningful support. NYU spokesperson John Beckman disputed that, saying the university “has taken this matter seriously” and that the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) got involved immediately.
Belcher’s experience tells a different story.
She said officers initially filed a report but discouraged her from waiting for NYPD officers to arrive. When she did file her own police reports at multiple precincts, the incident was classified as harassment — a lesser charge than sexual assault.
Belcher also requested to be moved out of her dorm for her own safety. According to email exchanges, residence hall staff said no temporary spaces were available and offered a permanent relocation. Later, Student Conduct officials claimed Belcher had declined temporary housing, further complicating the university’s response.
Feeling unheard, Belcher posted an emotional video about the incident on Instagram, which quickly went viral, receiving over 16,000 views.
A follow-up TikTok video detailing her moving experience — which was not supervised as promised — has been viewed nearly 4 million times. In response, NYU issued a “no contact directive” between Belcher and her roommate. However, Belcher says she continues to face harassment from her roommate’s friends and family online.
Adding to the stress, Belcher was informed by the Office of Student Conduct that a complaint had been filed against her for “online behavior that constitutes harassment,” a move she says unfairly punishes her for speaking out.
“All of this has fallen on me — nothing has fallen on the person that did this to me,” Belcher said. “I’m being punished by the administration for being assaulted on campus and that’s horrible.”
As Belcher moves forward with her life — with just weeks remaining in the academic year — her experience highlights growing concerns about how universities address student safety.
