Good morning. A dorm room sting at Assumption University in 2024 started as a bad idea among students and quickly spiraled into consequences that are still being felt. Globe Magazine writer Patricia Wen talks about what went wrong and the lessons that linger.
But first, here’s what else is going on:
- The Trump administration has scrapped plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack, N.H., into an immigration detention facility.
- Never more unpopular, President Trump delivered a State of the Union message aimed at foes abroad, heavy on theatrics, and light on pocketbook issues.
- Here comes (a little) more snow. Plus, the top 10 epic snow totals, Wednesday school closings, and blizzard photos.
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TODAY’S STARTING POINT
For years, live and in reruns, the TV series “To Catch a Predator” created sting operations of adult men by luring them to meet purported underage boys or girls for sex.
In 2024, students in a dorm at Assumption University had the same idea — but things went horribly wrong. Even today, everyone is trying to repair the damage, Patricia Wen wrote in her Globe Magazine cover story. She talks to us about the fallout — and on lessons for the future.
David Beard: Patty, teens are teens. And bad ideas sprout. This idea, hatched one lazy evening, has changed lives. Is there a “scared straight” message here?
Patricia Wen: You are totally right — teens are teens. Having raised three of them myself, I know this well. I’d say three things: Know who you’re talking to online – it’s so easy to say, but so hard to do. I also think young people should be wary of getting caught up in an emotional mob, because you could be held accountable for the worst thing that happens. Finally, it’s probably still a surprise to many students that campus police aren’t kindly security officers, they’re police. Before talking, tell your family and get legal advice.
Q. We’ve been raised on a spectrum of stunts, from “America’s Funniest Home Videos” to “Punked.” But not necessarily catfishing or felony charges. What can school administrators or parents do to prevent this?
A. Social media has many upsides, but the risks of things going wrong are often ignored, or at least treated as an afterthought. To me, teaching this kind of online literacy – including the possible legal, ethical, and psychological consequences — should be taken as seriously as lessons about substance abuse and safe sex.
Did reporting the story make you think differently about the two people at the center of it — the 18-year-old college freshman and the 22-year-old Army specialist who came to her dorm to meet her?
I remember having a powerful reaction when I heard Brady’s 911 call, and he asked the dispatcher if she would stay on the phone just so he would have someone to talk to. I was also struck by how Kelsy and Brady, the two people at the center of this whole ordeal, wanted to talk publicly about this painful experience. I think they both feel like they’ve learned things that are important to share.
Was there anything in your reporting that really surprised you?
There are a couple of points that stick with me. One is how quickly an incident like this can spin out of control. It was really the result of just an hour of bad decisions, yet the consequences stretch on for years. Second, I remain stumped by how the leadership and police at Assumption escalated the situation. Perhaps they worried if they didn’t crack down, they’d be accused of going too soft on the students, or it could happen again. But I still wonder if there was a better way to resolve everything that would ultimately deliver a better outcome for Brady, too.
After reporting this, have you changed what you would tell kids or parents about boundaries for meeting up online?
We all know about the dangers of anonymity and peer pressure, but it seems all kids and parents really can’t overdo discussing those. I hope this story also speaks to the risk of living too much in an online world and forgetting, even temporarily, our ties to real people on the other end. It’s sad to think how so many students got caught up in the moment and forgot the humanity of the person they lured to campus. I think this story has important lessons for anyone going off to college – and their parents.
Read: A Tinder “Predator” sting gone horribly wrong
🧩 1 Across: Exhausted | ☀️ 39° Snow (but less)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Former mayor: Gloucester’s longest serving mayor, Bruce Tobey, died after a three-year battle with cancer, his family said. He was 73.
‘Brain drain’: Frustrated Harvard, Dartmouth, and Cornell academics are reluctantly departing for an Australian university. Said one: “It is infuriating to see such a huge national advantage be destroyed willfully.”
The big first step: How to come up with a down payment in the Boston area: “Things have never cost more.” Also, beware of landlords placing a legal fee on tenants facing eviction, even if the case is dismissed.
The nuns: The stalled redevelopment of a Jamaica Plain monastery has Poor Clare nuns awaiting a new home.
Jeffrey Epstein: Tissue samples of the notorious sex offender ignited a furor at Harvard when they were found in the lab of a legendary geneticist and Epstein benefactor, STAT reports. Also: The Justice Department has withheld 50-some pages of FBI interviews about Epstein that also mention Trump. (NPR)
‘Erratic’: More than 60 percent of Americans say Trump, 79, has become more “erratic with age.” (Reuters) With tariff numbers in jeopardy, the federal budget doesn’t add up for Trump and Republicans.
More than a joke: The president may consider the gold-medal USA women’s hockey team a punchline, writes Tara Sullivan, but “they are American heroes.” Also, Trump promises to give US men’s team goalie a Medal of Freedom. (AP)
When hair is political: A lawsuit against the American Repertory Theater reopens an old historical wound.
BESIDE THE POINT
🐶 Saving a puppy: The young golden retriever was chasing a squirrel across the icy Connecticut River in Hadley. Then the ice broke. Hanging by its paws, the dog was rescued by firefighters, and soon was running on shore.
📺 New England ‘Survivors’: We’re not talking about the people who made it back Monday from Market Basket before the travel ban. There are seven regional stars from the venerable reality show that is beginning its 50th season.
💌 Love Letters: “My boyfriend says his wife is delaying their divorce."
🍽️ Where to eat this week: The Globe’s Devra First looks at Ama at the Atlas.
✈️ Fallout: Is it safe to travel to Mexico right now? With: Christopher Muther’s account of a fiery Sunday in Puerto Vallarta.
👨🦰 Watch: How to wash your hair in space. (space.com)
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by Heather Ciras and produced by Ryan Orlecki.
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