2nd Incident Reported at Fullerton Program

For the second time in less than a month, Cal State Fullerton has acknowledged that supervision was lax in a summer outreach program for low-income high school students.

Three 16-year-old boys in the university’s Upward Bound residential program have apologized for delivering an anonymous note and a cassette tape to three 18-year-old women in Summer Bridge, another residential program, said Silas H. Abrego, Cal State Fullerton’s associate vice president for student affairs.

The note and the tape recounted the boys’ interest in the students, comments about the young women’s appearance and a warning not to tell resident counselors about the correspondence.

Abrego said the women initially were frightened by the tape but came to view the incident as a prank when they realized who was behind it. He did not identify the women or release further details. Nonetheless, he vowed to increase supervision of the residential programs next summer.

The incident came on the heels of a complaint filed with the university president July 18 alleging harassment and emotional distress to a 16-year-old Upward Bound student. His parents said in their complaint that his bed was soaked with water, after-shave lotion and toothpaste, forcing him to sleep on the dormitory floor. In response, university administrators said the student and his peers were involved in an ongoing water balloon fight.

Abrego said Tuesday of the Summer Bridge incident, “I’m upset as an administrator.” When parents entrust their children to the university for the four-week program, he said, “the mission is to get ready for college. Any distraction from this program, we get upset about. These kids have dreams and ambitions, . . . and my guarantee is no drugs, no alcohol, no harassment. We try to prepare for any and all occurrences, but sometimes things happen.”

He said the leadership of Upward Bound will change for next year, though for reasons unrelated to the two incidents.

Upward Bound and Summer Bridge are academic programs for low-income students who would be the first in their families to attend college. Federally funded Upward Bound serves about 50 students a year from Santa Ana middle and high schools. State-funded Summer Bridge serves about 175 students who will enter Cal State Fullerton in the fall.