The Harvard University Office of Wellbeing issued a campuswide wellness notice at 11:47 p.m. Friday following a report that a student experienced acute distress upon encountering a restroom door bearing the word “Men.” The late hour was intentional. The Office noted that the notice would be waiting for community members when they woke up.
Students were advised to avoid approaching unfamiliar signage without a support person present.
“Harvard is committed to ensuring that every member of our community feels seen, valued, and supported in their encounters with architectural features,” the notice read. “We are taking this very seriously, pending the outcome of a review.”
The door has not been relabeled. Relabeling the door prior to the working group’s assessment would be premature. The working group has not met.
A working group has been convened. A preliminary inventory of campus doors has been commissioned. The inventory is expected to take fourteen months. The working group’s membership has not been finalized. The working group has not met.
The door has not been relabeled. Relabeling the door prior to the working group’s assessment would be premature.
The student was offered counseling. A counselor was made available to anyone who may have seen the door. The door was not offered counseling, though the working group has been asked to consider whether this represents a gap in the University’s support infrastructure. The working group will take this under advisement. The working group has not met.
Harvard President Alan Garber issued a statement expressing the University’s commitment to a campus environment in which all members feel insulated from unexpected encounters with nouns. The statement did not mention the door. The door remains.