Hamden Calls on Quinnipiac to Help Prevent Party Problems

Town officials in Hamden are calling on Quinnipiac University leadership to take responsibility for an off-campus party problem that has been an issue for years.

Most students are finished with classes for the school year and town leaders say something needs to change before those students return.

“They continuously refuse to take responsibility for the off-campus behavior of their students," said Acting Hamden Mayor James Pascarella.

Pascarella is asking university leaders, including President John Lahey, to take action. Lahey was caught on video at an off-campus "May Weekend" party on a microphone in front of hundreds of college-aged revelers. Days after that video surfaced, Lahey issued an apology.

Pascarella and others had hoped the incident would be a turning point in the often rocky relationship between Hamden residents and the university.

"We just need their leadership to be responsible stakeholders," said Curt Leng, chief administrative officer for the town of Hamden.

Leng, a Democrat, is currently running for mayor of Hamden. A special election is scheduled for next week.

In a news release sent out Friday, detailing plans to add 300 more beds on its York Hill Campus, the university called on Hamden to change its town rules to permanently restrict college students from living in primarily residential neighborhoods.

Pascarella called such a ban "questionable" and "possibly unconstitutional."

"They’re placing the entire onus of disciplining off-campus student behavior on the town of Hamden," said Pascarella. "They’re accepting no responsibility whatsoever themselves."

Town officials said they want to keep the dialogue with the university going in hopes of making some progress on this issue.

A spokesperson from Quinnipiac said there would be no response from the university or its president on this matter.

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