CAMERAS IN THE STALLS: MARIST UNIVERSITY ROCKED BY EXPULSION, CRIMINAL CHARGES IN BATHROOM SPYING SCANDAL
Marist University, usually known for its postcard-perfect campus along the Hudson and its fiercely protective student community, now finds itself drowning in a scandal that has detonated across campus like a live wire. A student — once described as quiet, diligent, barely noticeable — is now facing criminal charges and permanent expulsion after police say he planted covert cameras inside multiple campus bathrooms.
The fallout has been immediate, volatile, and deeply personal. And the Garden State Gazette has been tracking every twist in the case as students, parents, and administrators scramble to understand how something this invasive, this calculated, could unfold right under their noses.
A DISCOVERY THAT STOPPED THE CAMPUS COLD
The bombshell dropped when a student reported seeing a suspicious device under a sink in a second-floor bathroom of a residence hall. Campus security responded — expecting maybe a forgotten charger, maybe a prank. Instead, officers uncovered a micro-camera disguised in a small black housing unit, intentionally angled toward a row of stalls.
Within hours, a second camera was discovered in a different building. Then a third.
The pattern was unmistakable: the placements were deliberate, the timing coordinated, and the intent predatory.
According to law enforcement sources, investigators traced the devices back to a single student — a sophomore majoring in digital media — after reviewing Wi-Fi connection logs, purchase histories, and internal video files recovered from the cameras.
When police arrived at his dorm room, they allegedly found storage equipment containing multiple recordings.
“This wasn’t an accident. This was systematic,” one investigator said. “And he knew exactly what he was doing.”
EXPULSION WAS SWIFT — BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR STUDENTS
Marist University wasted no time issuing the harshest penalty available: immediate expulsion.
In a statement blasted across email inboxes at sunrise, the administration called the student’s actions “a staggering violation of privacy, ethics, and human dignity” and emphasized that they were cooperating fully with the county prosecutor.
But for many students, the anger is still raw — and the trust shattered.
Campus activists have already organized three demonstrations, demanding transparency about how long the cameras were in place, who was affected, and why the university wasn’t aware of the devices sooner.
One student leader didn’t mince words:
“Marist failed us. We should not be finding cameras before campus security does.”
Others want sweeping policy changes — mandatory bathroom sweeps, increased surveillance in academic buildings, and clear reporting channels for suspicious activity.
The administration insists those upgrades are already in motion.
CRIMINAL CHARGES PILE UP
The student now faces a mountain of criminal charges including:
- Invasion of privacy
- Hidden camera surveillance of individuals without consent
- Possession of illegal surveillance equipment
- Potential distribution of illicit recordings, depending on forensic analysis of his devices
Prosecutors say more charges are likely if investigators discover that recordings were stored, shared, or uploaded.
The case is still unfolding, and detectives are combing through hours of video to identify potential victims. Counselors have been stationed on campus around the clock as students brace for the possibility that they may appear on the footage.
“This is one of the most personal forms of violation we handle,” the prosecutor said. “Victims often don’t even know they’re victims until we call them.”
A CAMPUS TRYING TO HEAL — AND PREVENT A REPEAT
While law enforcement handles the criminal side, Marist now faces a crisis of confidence.
Bathroom inspections are underway across campus. Security has expanded its patrol routes. IT teams are hunting for signs of unauthorized devices connected to university networks.
And in residence halls, students admit they’re checking every vent, every ceiling tile, every corner.
“Every time I walk into a bathroom now, I’m thinking about it,” one student confessed. “You can’t unthink it.”
Parents, furious and fearful, are demanding accountability. Some are calling for an independent, outside investigation into the university’s security protocols.
Marist officials insist they are committed to regaining trust — but with outrage boiling and the investigation far from over, this scandal isn’t leaving campus anytime soon.