Uvi Student Worker Sues Over Campus Attack
A University of the Virgin Islands student worker has filed a negligence lawsuit against the institution following a violent assault and robbery on the St. Thomas campus. The legal claim alleges that campus security responded nearly two hours late and points to a broader pattern of inadequate safety measures. The plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for severe physical injuries and emotional distress.
A student employee at the University of the Virgin Islands has filed a lawsuit against the institution in the V.I. Superior Court, alleging negligence and inadequate security after he was violently assaulted and robbed on the Orville E. The plaintiff, Malcolm Joseph, was working as a front desk associate at the campus Wellness Center on the evening of December 22, 2025.
According to the complaint, Joseph was responsible for closing the facility and contacted campus security at approximately 8:00 p.m. to request an officer for the mandatory closing procedure. While completing his duties, his father waited outside in a vehicle to take him home. The legal filing asserts that campus security did not arrive until approximately 9:50 p.m., nearly two hours after the initial call.
Furthermore, only one unarmed officer was dispatched, despite an established protocol requiring two officers for closing procedures. When Joseph stepped outside the facility to transfer towels to the gymnasium, he was ambushed and beaten by two assailants, suffering severe bodily injuries and property loss.
Fischer, Joseph contends that the assault was not an isolated incident but part of a persistent failure to maintain adequate campus protection. The complaint references several earlier incidents, including a March 2025 assault of a female student in a campus dormitory and a robbery days later where safety alerts were severely delayed.
Another robbery was also reported near the campus library following the December attack. In the aftermath, senior university officials reached out to Joseph, including UVI President Dr. Safiya George and Athletic Director Karen Carty. During a subsequent meeting with Chief of Security Theodore Glasford, Joseph was reportedly told that surveillance cameras recorded the attack, but the footage was withheld from him because it was considered too graphic.
The lawsuit argues that UVI failed to uphold its duty of care to maintain safe premises, properly train and supervise personnel, and provide the 24-hour security and evening escort services it advertises. Joseph is seeking general, special, and punitive damages for medical expenses, permanent impairment, and emotional trauma, alongside a demand for a jury trial.
Primary source: VINO