UNHOLY TRINITY
‘Racial abuse’ and ‘spiking’ among 330 complaints
DRINK spiking and racial abuse at the Trinity Ball were among 330 formal complaints at the prestigious university over the past two years.
The Dublin college also received complaints about staff being “cat called” by builders on campus, racial aggression, heating issues and rodents.
A log of incidents includes “alleged garda abuse” of a student, security staff entering a room uninvited, and housekeeping staff not wearing Covid masks during the pandemic.
Most gripes were about chilly rooms, with staff and students frequently complaing about lecture theatres, offices, or residences.
One staff member wrote of teaching becoming “unsustainable” if the temperatures dropped below a “certain threshold”.
“Four-hour lecture and there was no heating,” they added.
In other parts of the campus, staff had taken to bringing in their own electrical heaters. Noise was also a source of nuisance with multiple issues with the use of power tools early in the morning. One entry in the complaints database said: “Loud machinery being used prior to 8am.”
Smoking on campus in front of offices or residences was flagged while bicycles getting locked to railings also caused upset. One-off issues included signage not in compliance with Irish language legislation, the presence of gardai at a student services event, and a disability access lift out of order.
Asked about the records, released under FOI, a spokeswoman said: “Complaints are resolved more easily and effectively at an early stage and by those who have a direct influence on the situation. “The formal procedure is available when informal approaches have not produced a satisfactory resolution within a reasonable timeframe or when the seriousness of the complaint merits it.”