In the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 13, Public Safety officers responded to a disturbance on South Campus. According to reporting in several local news outlets, freshman Daniel Jin was under the influence of LSD and assaulted a female on campus. Radnor police arrived, and Jin was transported to the hospital. He was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Later that night, two other students and one visitor were transported to Bryn Mawr Hospital for suspected overdoses of the drug. All parties have since been released. 

On Sunday evening, the alleged supplier of the drugs, freshman Justin Yim, was arrested by Radnor police when he returned to campus. Police discovered nearly $9,000 in cash, marijuana and LSD tablets in Yim’s Good Counsel dorm room. Both Jin and Yim were held on $50,000 bail.

The University issued a statement that reads in part, “The University has instituted an internal review and is moving forward quickly and thoroughly. Those found responsible will be held accountable.” Several students expressed surprise and frustration about the lack of any official notification about the incident. Director of Public Safety David Tedjeske said that Nova Alert is used for situations that present an immediate threat. “This situation was quickly contained that night . . . and there was no ongoing threat to the greater community,” Tedjeske said.

According to the student code of conduct, “The sale, production and/or distribution of, as well as attempt and conspiracy to sell, produce, and/or distribute cocaine and its derivatives, marijuana, barbiturates, amphetamines, hallucinogens, other addictive or illegal substances, or prescription medications will result in suspension or expulsion.”

The incident came at an inopportune time for the University considering Early Action Candidates weekend continued all day on Saturday. Large crowds of students considering Villanova and their families toured South campus only hours after the arrests and hospitalizations took place.

Tedjeske also expressed that in his experience an incident involving LSD was unheard of on campus. “In the time I’ve been here, eight and a half years or so, we haven’t see it,” Tedjeske said.

“I haven’t heard about any cases of it prior to that either, so it is extremely uncommon.”

Freshman Patrick Hannigan explained how rumors were spread as the incident unfolded. “Obviously whenever there is an incident on South Campus that requires VEMS, rumors get spread thanks to social media like Yik-Yak and Snapchat,” Hannigan said.

“While everyone wants to figure out what happened, everyone still hopes that whoever needed the help is going to be okay. The reality that hard drugs have the kind of effect on people where VEMS and Public Safety need to step in to ensure the safety of everyone is pretty scary as well.”