Madison Vital, a junior at the University of Baltimore, uploaded a nearly three-minute video on TikTok on October 17 despite being frightened to do so.
She said, “The officials of the University of Baltimore are attempting to throw this whole problem under the rug so that no one really knows what’s going on, and every one that attends or works at the University of Baltimore is jeopardizing their life by being there.
Although the institution has a rule prohibiting students from carrying weapons on campus, Vital said in the TikTok, which has been seen more than 3 million times, that a student had “stalked, intimidated, and abused” her and brought “a pistol to school every single day.”
The student, 29-year-old Jesse Francis, was first introduced to the 21-year-old by another student early in the semester, according to court documents. She claims that after he stated his intention to go to Yale Law School, Vital, who has long wished to attend an Ivy League institution, contacted him and inquired about the resources he was using to prepare for the LSAT. They exchanged phone numbers. Three days later, according to Vital, “everything began to go south.”
On October 5, Vital verbally protested to a few professors, but was persuaded by a buddy to escalate the matter. The academics promptly alerted campus security to the event. According to Vital, the police recommended her to pursue criminal charges and a peace order, both of which were approved.
Francis was freed from detention on October 12 after posting bond, according to court documents obtained by Insider. Francis is accused of assault, stalking, and offences involving firearms.
Vital claims she was informed that he had been given a temporary ban. Francis is instructed to avoid Vital and the school by the peace hearing. The matter has a hearing set on November 10.
Kurt Schmoke, president of the University of Baltimore, sent the following email to students on October 14: “The University police detained a person earlier this week on many counts, one of which included a pistol. I am unable to provide further information regarding this incident, however I can let you know that University police dealt with it in a timely manner. As a consequence, our community’s safety was never under constant danger.”
Although Francis was ordered by the court to stay away from the university, Vital responded to the email by pointing out that Francis had posted bail earlier in the week. She also cautioned students to be aware of their surroundings, saying, “It is my understanding from prior conversations with administration that the University of Baltimore cannot guarantee they will abide by these court orders and may choose to attempt to override them.”
Schmoke wrote a follow-up email to the neighborhood on October 17 after the publication of Vital’s TikTok: “This is a follow-up to my previous week’s letter on the arrest that took place on our campus. My remarks on this subject reflect the need to uphold students’ right to privacy while reassuring the public that University police and other authorities are cooperating to maintain a safe environment. There is no need to change courses or other events that are set to take place on campus, in response to individuals who have asked. I’m grateful.”
Insider’s request for comment was not immediately answered by University of Baltimore representatives.
However, after feeling for a week that the administration was significantly downplaying the threat to students, Vital told Insider that she doesn’t trust therapy offered by the school. Vital claims that the Office of Student Support contacted her to offer her counseling.
The philosophy, law, and ethics major told Insider that she is now unable to attend courses since she is unsure of what her future at the institution would entail. According to Vital, several teachers initially gave their lessons through Zoom due to the circumstances, but she is now unable to attend classes due to her phone conversations with the police, the school, and “the stress and just everything going on.”
Nothing the school does at this moment will ever make Vital feel completely secure on that campus again since they have ignored the issue for such a long time.
According to the Stalking Prevention Awareness Resource Center, stalking is against both student conduct codes and Title IX, and is a crime under both state and federal law. It is estimated that between 6% and 39% of college students have experienced stalking at some point during their time in college.
Only around 29% of victims, according to the group, report their stalkers to campus officials, and of those, 35% thought it was “a little beneficial or not at all useful” to do so.
Although Vital worries that attracting attention to herself may put her in additional danger, she claims that her main worry is ensuring that her fellow UBalt students have access to the knowledge they need to make wise decisions.
Vital acknowledged his fear to Insider. “But in the end, I feel like they need to know the truth so that they can make their own choice,” the student said, “if the school is not going to do anything to ensure their safety.”
When Vital first decided to publish the TikTok, she claims she was afraid. According to Vital, she informed viewers on October 20 that she would not have used social media if she had felt that the institution had reacted appropriately.
She told Insider, “I simply tried to maintain in the back of my mind that doing something like this may save the lives of many individuals there.”