Boston University students have reported being catcalled and made uncomfortable by Related Beal construction workers present at One Kenmore Square as they pass back and forth between classes on Central Campus to East Campus residences including Myles Standish and Danielsen Hall.
A student, who asked to remain anonymous, lives in Myles Standish Hall said a few weeks ago while on their way to a class in the Questrom School of Business building, a group of workers watched them pass.
“While I was walking by I just noticed they all were staring at me,” the student shared. “And then one of them just did the traditional catcall whistle.”
The student added that no one else was present for the incident.
“It was just the whistle and they were staring very intensely. It wasn’t that bad. It was just uncomfortable,” the student said.
Brian Radomski, Related Beal’s vice president, wrote in an email that the harassment will not be tolerated.
“We have zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior. Anyone found to be behaving in such a way will be immediately removed from the site,” Radomski wrote.
Jansi Patel, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and Myles resident said she wasn’t surprised multiple students have been made uncomfortable when passing by the site.
“The guys there watch as you walk by,” she said. “I guess also I am a girl so maybe they’re doing it because I’m a girl,” Patel said.
Yuanyuan Chen, a senior in CAS, said she does not “approve” of the workers’ actions.
“I mean obviously that’s awful,” she said. “As a girl, you want to be able to feel safe wearing what you want.”
Chen said she has personally never experienced such behavior coming from on-campus construction sites.
Ashley Makuwa, a sophomore in the College of General Studies and a Myles resident, said she was “sad” to hear of the workers’ behavior toward people simply walking by.
“It’s disrespectful to the student that the construction workers are catcalling because that’s like, get with the times and stop being sexist and objectifying students and people because it’s not cool,” she said.
Makuwa added BU should take steps to prevent more incidents of harassment.
“Some action I think is necessary, but I personally don’t know what exactly they would do,” Makuwa said.
BU spokesperson Colin Riley said the University reached out to Related Beal despite the building on the construction site no longer being BU property.
“We have a liaison there and that person reached out and of course that person said they have zero tolerance for it,” Riley said.
Riley encouraged students to report such issues by calling 311 to report non-emergencies to the city.
“That’s a phone number that anyone can call for quality of life issues, graffiti, anything that they say that they want to report to the city,” Riley said.
Patel said she no longer feels comfortable in the area after dark especially.
“They’re not doing work, they’re watching people,” Patel said. “I don’t walk by there at night. If they’re there, I don’t want to see them.”
