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Issue date: 7/19/07 Section: News

Harassment alleged at Van Pelt Library

Woman who came to library for job interview says she was groped by potential employer

Anthony Campisi

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The study rooms on the third floor of Van Pelt Library. The rooms were the site of alleged sexual harassment earlier this month, when a woman came to the library for an interview with a man who said he headed a modeling agency
Media Credit: Pauline Baniqued/SP Senior Photographer
The study rooms on the third floor of Van Pelt Library. The rooms were the site of alleged sexual harassment earlier this month, when a woman came to the library for an interview with a man who said he headed a modeling agency
[Click to enlarge]

A man was scheduled to be arraigned last night for alleged sexual harassment in Van Pelt Library.

Eber Devine, 30, was to be charged with burglary, criminal trespass, indecent assault, simple assault, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint and sexual harassment.

The incident occurred the morning of July 3, when Aleshia Endy, 22, of Conshohocken, said she came to the library for a job interview.

In an interview, Endy said that she had found a posting on craigslist.com the day before, in which Devine claimed to be the CEO of a company called the Modelelite Modeling Agency and said he was looking for a female office manager and personal assistant.

He also asked that applicants provide a picture along with their resume.

An e-mail Endy supplied to The Summer Pennsylvanian by Devine in response to her resume said that Endy "definitely [has] the look we want" and requested an interview with her.

Endy said that Devine requested Van Pelt because he claimed to be in the middle of moving his office.

She said she arrived at Van Pelt at about 10 a.m. July 3 and was met by Devine at the lobby, and the two proceeded to a private study room on the third floor.

Endy said that Devine had her fill out an application and was "asking me the normal" questions.

According to Endy, the interview ended with Devine saying "I'm just going to give you the position."

However, she said she became suspicious when Devine held another interview with her present.

After that person left, she said that she told Devine that she had to leave, and as he was walking her out of the study room "he leans in and starts talking really sick and perverted and then he tells me to stand up, walk around, go stand in the corner, let me see your ass."

Endy said she the attempted to leave, but Devine blocked the door and touched her arm, ran his fingers across her breast and started breathing heavily on her.

Endy then succeeded in leaving and dissuaded another woman she met on the elevator from going through with an interview scheduled with Devine.

She said, though, that Endy persisted in leaving messages on her cell phone and the phones of the other women interviewed.

Endy filed a police report with Penn the next day.

Police at the Philadelphia Special Victims Unit said Devine turned himself in at about 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Endy also said that Devine claimed to be an alumnus of Penn and showed her an alumni card during her interview.

While Penn Division of Public Safety spokeswoman Karima Zedan wouldn't confirm whether Devine was an alumnus, she did say that the library had been notified and his "electronic access control" to the library was revoked. A copy of Devine's ID was at the security desk at the library, indicating that Devine didn't have a working PennCard, and thus had to be let in by the guards.

An Eber Devine was listed as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Penn Police in which he alleged racism that was dismissed in 2004. He described himself as a 2003 graduate of the College of General Studies, though Zedan couldn't be reached for comment late last night.

In The Daily Pennsylvanian, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush denied that the Devine in that case was ever a student.

Devine, under arrest, couldn't be reached for comment, and his lawyer couldn't be determined. A number supplied by Endy that was at one time used by Devine was disconnected.


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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13

stewart

posted 7/19/07 @ 4:13 PM EST

This was an incredibly misleading (and rather sensationalistic) headline and subtitle. It strongly and inaccurately implies that this woman was applying for a job at the library, and that a library employee groped her. (Continued…)

alan

posted 7/19/07 @ 8:51 PM EST

Stewart, why should the DP issue an apology because you choose to read (or mis-read) the story in a goofy way. The first sentence calls the alleged perpetrator "a man"; if it had been a library employee, it would have said, "a Penn employee" or "A Van Pelt Library employee". (Continued…)

abc

posted 7/19/07 @ 10:47 PM EST

An apology may be a bit much, I have to say, but otherwise I gotta disagree, Alan. The large text read, "Harassment alleged at Van Pelt Library:
Woman who came to library for job interview says she was groped by potential employer" I work at the library, and two colleagues came up to me today and said they heard that a librarian got harrassed when she applied here for a job and asked if I knew who harrassed her. (Continued…)

Will

posted 7/23/07 @ 12:41 PM EST

Definitely agree, this headline is very misleading.

THIS is how rumors get started.

I suggest the DP simply change the headline online, not sure apology is needed. (Continued…)

J. Jonah Jameson

posted 7/23/07 @ 2:22 PM EST

At the very least the DP owes Carton Rogers and the rest of the library system employees an explanation, if not an outright apology. I expect misleading headlines like this from Rupert Murdoch and the NY Post. (Continued…)

reader

posted 7/23/07 @ 3:37 PM EST

this is pretty bad.

saying that the woman "came to library for [a] job interview" clearly implies that the job was at the library. it's asking a lot on the part of the reader to avoid assuming as much and think instead that "perhaps it was a scam artist who was using the library as a place to pretend to interview people whom he would later victimize. (Continued…)

Pennabelle

posted 7/23/07 @ 7:55 PM EST

Are you people stupid? How could you possibly infer from the headline that a Penn employee was responsible?

The only major error in this story is that it says, "Endy persisted in leaving messages on her cell phone", when it should say "Devine". (Continued…)

(2 replies)   Details   Reply to this comment

Alum

posted 7/24/07 @ 12:27 AM EST

I confess, I must be stupid. I was skimming the DP website, saw this headline, and assumed that a library employee was harassing either a student or another employee. (Continued…)

Sonja

posted 7/25/07 @ 12:55 PM EST

Maybe it depends on who the reader assumes is using the library. Van Pelt library is a semi-public space. Maybe a lot of readers forget that the General Public is in and out of there, not just Penn students and employees. (Continued…)

(1 reply)   Details   Reply to this comment

Joe

posted 9/06/08 @ 11:05 AM EST

Eber DeVine is a great guy who does great work for the community it is a shame that his greedy family set him up because he inherited the family fortune. (Continued…)

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