(U-WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. — A University of Massachusetts maintenance staff member discovered the corpse of a newborn male in the trash can of the second floor of James dormitory in Southwest at approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
The mother, a resident of the dormitory, was taken to an area hospital to receive medical attention. An autopsy will be done on the corpse of the baby Friday.
So far, it is unclear whether the child was stillborn or alive at birth. At 8:15 a.m., University of Massachusetts Police and State Police from Troop B, Northampton barracks, arrived at the scene.
The bathroom in which the newborn was found was blocked off to students, creating confusion for residents as to what had happened and why the police were in their hallway.
The State Police, as well as campus police, remained in and around James dormitory throughout the day. Maintenance workers were sent home, and resident advisers were notified of the incident in order to assist students.
The District Attorney’s office would not return phone calls requesting comment. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Javier Cevallos declined comment, saying the issue was in the jurisdiction of the State Police.
Area Director Ron Trunzo and James/Emerson Resident Director Susan St. John each issued a statement of “no comment” to the Daily Collegian and other press associations. In addition, all RAs on staff at James and Emerson were warned not to speak to the press.
Students coming in and out of James Thursday either had no comment or said they knew nothing of the incident.
A meeting was held at 8 p.m. Thursday for James and Emerson residents to inform them of the event and advise them on how to handle the attention they possibly might receive from press and other students.
Trunzo, St. John and resident directors from each of the dormitories in Southwest-North attended the meeting, with resident advisers and residents from James and Emerson. In addition, staff from Mental Health Services, Health Services and Assistant Dean of Students Merle Ryan were in attendance to assist any student with questions on how to get help for themselves or others in need.
Students at the meeting discussed their views of the event and how it had affected them thus far.
One resident broke into tears as she described her confusion and astonishment as she emerged from her room across from the bathroom to find police blocking her from entering the bathroom to take a shower. Although the bathroom had been taped off, the door had not been closed, allowing residents to witness the crime scene. The resident said she understood the need for the police’s presence and did not mind it as long as they were polite and respectful of the emotional states of the residents, which she did not feel they had been that morning.
A friend of the mother’s spoke up during the meeting to ask that residents not speak with the press or help to further rumors regarding the incident. She said she hoped if the press did not receive further information it would “drop the story.”
Other residents spoke about the importance of creating a more educated atmosphere, especially in an all-female dorm such as James, on how to find help if a resident does become pregnant. A resident in attendance stated how she had had trouble even finding the number for the Everywoman’s Center and couldn’t imagine where to look for help concerning a pregnancy.
RAs at the meeting appealed to residents to ask them for help, saying if the RAs didn’t have answers, they would find out any information needed.
The meeting became a forum for residents to ask for help and discuss the emotions surrounding the incident, but advisers and administrators running the meeting halted debate over how the issue was handled by the mother.
Residents were asked to seek help at any time in the coming days and advised to curb drinking and partying as their emotional states in combination with the alcohol may result in more tragic events.
— Andrew Merritt, Melissa Hammel, Sam Wilkinson, Scott Eldridge II, Matt Despres, Matt Sacco and Ken Campbell contributed to this story.
