Petition to Expel Villanova Student Juan Eguiguren Jumps 12,000 Signatures in One Day
He recorded video of a Villanova student's sexual assault in 2022. And he's scheduled to graduate in May.
A Change.org petition to expel Villanova student Juan Eguiguren, who took video of a sexual assault in a Villanova dorm room in 2022. (screenshot via Change.org)
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Petition to Expel Villanova Student Juan Eguiguren Jumps 12,000 Signatures in One Day
UPDATE 4/9 1:15pm: The victim of this sexual assault at Villanova University just spoke out for the first time. Go here to read her full statement.
ORIGINAL:
It’s fair to say that the reaction was strong to the story I published yesterday about a sexual assault at Villanova University. Strong is an understatement. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’ll want to click here, and then rejoin this conversation.) I’m told that Villanova students, parents, and alumni, as well as the community at large, have been flooding Villanova with calls, emails, and comments supporting the victim’s demand that Juan Eguiguren, who took video of the sexual assault, be barred from walking at graduation, the same day that the victim is supposed to graduate. And then there’s this: A Change.org petition from last year demanding that Villanova expel Eguiguren jumped 12,000 signatures in one day.
Prior to our publication of yesterday’s story, the Change.org petition had all of 618 signatures. Not a great result for a petition started five months ago:
A screenshot of the Change.org petition demanding Villanova expel Eguiguren
But since the story went live on Tuesday morning, that number now stands at 12,554 and continues climbing as I write this. I’ve learned that students and community members are also planning protests at the university, including at the commencement itself. And I’ve heard from multiple Villanova alumni who say that the school won’t get another penny from them.
Meanwhile, Villanova and their attorneys have yet to respond to my requests for comment. Eguiguren’s lawyer has declined to comment on my reporting about Eguiguren.
Doing Lines
Lines are my kryptonite. I just can’t wait in them. So I have never understood the people waiting in line forever and ever to get a cheesesteak or pizza (or both) from Angelo’s in South Philly. Thank you to the person who wrote this article for giving me some insight. (I’m still definitely not waiting in that line!)
By the Numbers
28 degrees: Forecasted low for the early morning hours on Wednesday. This is expected to be the last freeze of the season. Glad I didn’t start my spring gardening yet.
$9.5 million: What Toll Bros. just paid for the sprawling 46-acre Saint Basil Academy property in Montco. Great. More McMansions.
$12,000: What one local woman was allegedly willing to pay to hire a hitman to kill her ex-boyfriend, who is a Philly cop, and his teen daughter. And I thought that I had bad breakups.
Local Talent
If you haven’t been to the Best of Philly-winning Colored Girls Museum in Germantown, you now have a new opportunity to see part of the collection.
Colored Girls Museum founder and executive director Vashti DuBois, seen above, has curated a new exhibit at City Hall showcasing part of her collection, which includes all sorts of artifacts and artwork. “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me … Anymore” opens on April 11th and runs through May 16th. You can see the exhibit on the first and second floors of City Hall.
