‘I Was Freaked Out!’: NYU Student Claims University Took No Action After Her Roommate Allegedly Urinated on Her In Dorm Room
A second-year student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts said the university failed to adequately respond to her concerns after her roommate allegedly urinated on her in their Broome Street dorm, though administrators claim they have “taken the matter seriously.”
The alleged incident took place April 12, when Eloni Belcher said she woke up around 5:26 a.m. to find her roommate squatting over her and urinating on her arms. Belcher said her roommate, who appeared intoxicated, looked surprised that she had woken up and caught her in the act. She said she immediately cleaned herself, washed her soiled mattress and bedsheets, which by then “smelled so rancid,” she said.
“I was freaked out — so I got up, and I said, ‘What are you doing?’ and then she says, ‘Oh, sorry,’” Belcher said. “I was just in shock, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’”
Belcher said she maintained a good relationship with her roommate since moving in together last semester, but said a disagreement the day before may have precipitated the incident. She said she had texted her roommate and asked her to quiet down while she was on the phone because it was “disruptive” and “frustrating.”
The very next night, Belcher said she awoke to warm urine raining down on her.
@loveeloni Wtffff #nyu #college #nyc #dormlife ♬ original sound – eloni
Following the alleged incident, Belcher said she contacted NYU’s Department of Campus Safety and was directed to meet with two officers at Carlyle Court. According to Belcher, the officers filed a report and contacted the New York City Police Department, but after waiting nearly an hour for their arrival, campus officials told her “it wasn’t worth waiting for the police.”
NYU spokesperson John Beckman disputed Belcher’s characterization of the university’s response in a statement to the student newspaper, saying that the Office of Student Conduct became involved immediately.
“Given the concerns raised, we want to emphasize that the university has taken this matter seriously since it came to our attention,” Beckman said, according to Washington Square News. “Safety is our top priority — always.”
According to an April 12 email obtained by WSN, Gramercy Green hall director Chelsea Whitaker advised Belcher to file a police report herself because law enforcement cannot enter NYU residence halls. Belcher filed the report that same day. She said police initially struggled to determine how to classify the incident, but ultimately categorized it as harassment. After Belcher filed police reports at two additional precincts the next day, both classified the incident as harassment, a charge that carries lighter penalties than sexual or physical assault.
Belcher also requested temporary housing, not wanting to put herself in another position with the roommate.
According to an email exchange, residence hall director Devin Budhram told her that permanent relocation to another Broome Street unit was possible, but “temporary spaces are not available at this time.” However, Assistant Director of Student Conduct Jorgé Almonte-Florimon later said in an email that Belcher had “declined” temporary housing.
“I am seeing how incompetent they’re being about this whole situation,” Belcher said. “I do not feel like, from my point of view, that the university is helping me. So that was putting my safety at risk and on the line and they could have handled that so much better.”
When Belcher met with the Office of Student Conduct on April 15, she said staff admitted they had not yet begun an investigation, despite previously saying they would start the day before. Belcher also said no one from the OSC visited her dorm or collected evidence, such as her soiled bedsheet or the shirt she was wearing.
Belcher detailed the incident in a public Instagram video on April 15 that has garnered more than 16,000 views. In the video, she criticized NYU’s handling of her case and argued that her roommate should be required to move out.
On April 17, Almonte-Florimon informed Belcher by email that a “no contact directive” had been issued, prohibiting her and her roommate from initiating or continuing any communication, including through third parties.
Despite the directive, Belcher said her roommate’s family and friends continued sending her threatening messages and comments on her social media posts. In text messages obtained by WSN, her roommate’s friends called Belcher’s actions “despicable,” accused her of spreading “lies,” and threatened “legal action.” Her roommate’s mother also contacted Belcher’s mother, claiming the posts had led her daughter “to receive death threats.”
On Monday afternoon, Belcher was informed by Almonte-Florimon that the Office of Student Conduct had received an incident report accusing her of engaging in “online behavior that constitutes harassment” toward another student, according to an email obtained by WSN. Belcher said the report was likely referring to a TikTok video that has received nearly 4 million views, in which she described her roommate being present during her move-out — despite assurances that her roommate would not be there.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Belcher said. “I don’t know why I would lie about this and ruin my whole life with three weeks of school left.”
Belcher said that while she was moving out of the Broome Street dorm, she asked a residence hall director to escort her roommate out of the room because she was afraid. However, she said the staff member refused, citing a lack of prior instruction from the OSC.
“All of this has fallen on me — nothing has fallen on the person that did this to me,” Belcher said. “I’m being punished by the administration for being assaulted on campus and that’s horrible.”