Prostitution at Northeastern University leads to locked-up restrooms in academic building

BOSTON — Northeastern University has locked up restrooms in an academic building to the outside public due to reported illegal activity that officials say is related to prostitution, according to student newspaper, The Huntington News.

Individuals looking to access restrooms inside the Mugar Life Sciences Building, along Huntington Avenue, must have a Husky Card, an official ID issued to students, faculty, staff, alumni, contractors, conference attendees and others.

The Huntington News broke the development on Wednesday after learning that the Northeastern University Police Department installed the locks on at least eight of the building’s restrooms as “part of a comprehensive, multi-layer approach to resolve reported safety concerns.”

Heidi Kevoe-Feldman, an associate professor of communication studies and chairwoman of the faculty senate’s agenda committee, told the student newspaper that the locks were discussed at an Oct. 16 meeting.

“Faculty concerns brought up to the Northeastern University Police Department a number of complaints about illegal activities occurring within Mugar Hall restrooms,” Kevoe-Feldman told the newspaper. “These instances were not isolated to specific times of day and the disruptive nature of the behavior prompted significant concern from students and staff, who reported the negative impact it was having on individual wellbeing and the broader community within the building.”

“Since the implementation of these measures, including the locks, NUPD has not received any further reports of this specific illegal activity,” she added.

David Madigan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, later confirmed to the Huntington News that the “illegal activities” were “in relation to prostitution.”

Northeastern’s media relations department did not immediately respond to a Herald inquiry on the matter Thursday.

Under state law, prostitution – “engaging in, agreeing to engage in, or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee” – is prohibited in Massachusetts. Penalties range from up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, and the offender must submit a DNA sample to the state’s DNA database.

Northeastern’s student newspaper also found, through the university police department’s crime logs, eight reported instances of trespassing, loitering, suspicious activity, or lewd and lascivious conduct in Mugar Hall between May and June.

Four individuals were summonsed to court, and one was arrested by university police, according to the logs. Two instances specified that the activity took place in the building’s restrooms, the newspaper reported.

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