Feces Thrown on Students at Chambers Street Subway Station

Every morning, hundreds of Stuyvesant students use the Chambers Street Red Line subway station to get to school. However, commuting on the subway carries inherent risks. Notably, multiple students have reported having human excrement thrown at them while exiting the station. As a result, the school administration has opened an investigation this year to help keep current and future students safe on their daily commute.

The series of events began in September when a group of students commuting to school were hit by what was later identified to be liquid feces while exiting the Chambers Street subway station. Following the incident, the main question and attention shifted to who the perpetrator was, and how the administration should respond. “In September, there was an incident at the Chambers Street subway station in which a small group of students had some type of liquid poured on them as they exited the station. They did not see the individual responsible or know what actually occurred,” Assistant Principal Casey Pedrick said. 

However, this may not be the first time such an incident has occurred. Several juniors and seniors recalled hearing about similar attacks during their freshman or sophomore year. “Even though I’ve never experienced anything like this myself, I heard that this happened to some students [two years ago] as well,” junior Katelyn Saheed said. “I heard that they ended up reporting it to their guidance counselor, if I remember correctly.”

The students involved in September’s incident also reported the attacks, likely after hearing how past cases were handled. Although it’s unclear whether reports from past years were addressed, faculty emphasized how important it was that they were reported going forward in order to ensure arrests could be made. “[This report] led to a report filed with the local New York Policy Department (NYPD) precinct. Additionally, the school notified the Borough Safety Director and requested additional presence from the NYPD at the subway stations, particularly during arrivals and dismissals,” Pedrick said.

The administration, however, took swift action in protecting the students while waiting for an official response. They began to personally monitor the station in the morning to protect students and find possible suspects. As a result, Pedrick and Assistant Principal Brian Moran spotted a potential culprit during a patrol. “[Moran and I] confronted an individual who appeared to have two cups of liquid in his hands near the subway exit. The individual ran off and NYPD was contacted. [However,] no current updates from NYPD have been provided,” Pedrick said. 

The administration has stated its intent to keep working closely with the NYPD to keep families and students as safe and informed as possible. That being said, faculty clarified that they had to be careful to abide by New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) protocol in this investigation, since every investigation involving a potential crime involves strict rules. “The faculty and staff follow the safety and security protocols as designated by the NYCPS. We work closely with other agencies including the NYPD specifically when there is a possible crime that has occurred,” Pedrick said. 

Ultimately, this incident has led Stuy faculty to reevaluate how they can ensure safety for students even outside of school. While the administration cannot control external factors, such as establishing a more permanent security team, they can feasibly promote student safety by urging students to stay vigilant. “Safety and security are a top priority for the school particularly during the commute in which the school does not have as much control,” Pedrick said. “This is why the school works closely with the 1st Precinct of the NYPD, the safety agents, and the Borough Safety Director.”

Recent events have shown that students have generally become more wary of unsafe situations at or near Stuyvesant. Word-of-mouth reports and emails from Dr. Yu addressing the rising incidents have pushed students to try to be more aware during their morning commute. “For a while, I was actually paranoid to the point where I would check around the stations for anyone slightly suspicious before entering or exiting,” Saheed said. “So much stuff [also] happens early in the morning or late at night now [in the train stations], like the recent shooting that happened at 7th Avenue.”

However, the school has recognized how these fears may have affected students, and have been providing as much support and information as possible. In the current investigation, faculty has made sure to keep everyone affected by the situation informed. “We provide guidance to students/families if/when NYPD is involved,” Pedrick said. The school and students also both seem to acknowledge that traveling in groups generally yields a safer experience. “Every school year, there are minor incidents that arise during students’ commute. Again, this is why we encourage students to travel together if possible and to stay attentive during their commute,” Pedrick said. 

Despite the school’s efforts, however, the perpetrator and results of the situation still remain unclear. “We are not aware of whether the NYPD has identified or found the individual responsible for the incident with the liquid,” Pedrick said. The school now looks toward the NYPD for guidance and next steps in handling the matter, but hopes that situations like these do not arise again. 

Students also now hope that subway safety and awareness improve, so that others can know and look out for themselves and each other. “We could definitely have more awareness of what’s going on, even relatively far away from school, because these incidents could happen anytime,” Saheed said.