Football: Tigers benefit from varied athletic backgrounds, p. 6
Q&A: Better Than Ezra puts a rock spin on tailgating tunes, p. 10
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Music: MUTEMATH to end tour Friday in N.O., p. 9 Tuesday, October 18, 2011 • Volume 116, Issue 39
Grad student alleges sexual abuse by faculty member Restraining order issued Monday Brian Sibille Staff Writer
A restraining order was issued against a University employee Monday after a graduate student accused him of burglary, harassment and extensive sexual abuse. Marc Boudreaux, assistant director of biotechnology and molecular medicine at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, has been ordered by the Family Court of East Baton Rouge to refrain from all forms of contact with Elizabeth Lum, animal science
graduate student. In the restraining order, Lum said Boudreaux broke into her apartment Friday and stole two laptops and a journal. She also accused him of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, occurring in 2009 and 2010. Lum said BOUDREAUX she began working in the BioMMED lab, where Boudreaux is the assistant director, in 2008. She said a relationship with Boudreaux began in late 2009 and became sexual by March 2010. Lum said she later attempted to
end the relationship after learning a woman once employed by Boudreaux was living with him, but she said he threatened to jeopardize her job and educational progress if their relationship ended. Lum told The Daily Reveille on Sunday that Boudreaux would say things like, “You can’t finish your Ph.D. without me.” Boudreaux then demanded she move into his residence, forcing her to engage in numerous sexual acts with him and the woman also living with him, Lum said. She said Boudreaux would also send her sexually explicit text messages. Lum’s petition for protection also cited physical abuse, stating Boudreaux would shove her down steps, spit on her and blow his nose
on her. She said he also forced her to cook and clean for him. The order cites additional abuse including Boudreaux forcing Lum to move the other woman into an apartment without help and write the woman’s scholarship application essays. Lum said she attempted to move out multiple times, but Boudreaux would threaten her and later promise that “things would be different.” She said Boudreaux convinced her he was the only reason she was able to keep her job at the BioMMED lab, saying other staff members doubted her ability and intelligence. “I was not myself,” Lum said, explaining he once convinced her
What lies beneath
she was the cause of the problems. As all of this was occurring, harassment also took place on campus in the BioMMED lab, she said. Lum said Boudreaux would approach her in the lab in the presence of other employees and address her attempts to move out of his residence and end communication with him. Lum said Boudreaux went to her adviser and the BioMMED staff claiming she was “crazy” and unfit to continue her job. She said she finally left Boudreaux’s residence and ended the relationship in September 2010 after informing friends of the abuse. FACULTY, see page 4
Tunnel steam system under Quad powers surrounding buildings
Inspiring tales as old as Himes Hall, the tunnel system buildings in the Quad, but we do have other tunnels that come lurking below the sunny and well-traversed Quad has spurred off of that and come out of the Power House that serve addistudent curiosity and decades of urban legends. tional areas on campus,” Mayne said. Drafted into the original campus plans by Theodore Link, The Quad tunnel reaches the Pentagon community, snakes the master planner and architect for the Univerbehind Hill Memorial Library and goes out tosity, the oldest tunnels were installed with the ward the Journalism and Cox Communications Morgan Searles rest of the Quad around 1927, according to Jim buildings. Staff Writer Mayne, associate director of Utility Services. A tunnel leading to the Law Center is one The tunnels are responsible for transporting steam, natural of the newer portions, running from the Power House directly gas, chill water, some domestic water, sewage and drainage to to the Art Building, then down South Campus Drive to Highand from buildings and the campus Power House. land Road, running north to the Law Center. Mayne said the tunnels’ original concept was centered on At one time, steam came from that tunnel to the University providing steam and heat to buildings. TUNNELS, see page 4 “Originally that small set of tunnels did service the
1924 tunnel blueprint showing aerial view of the Quad
blueprint courtesy of JIM MAYNE; photos by MORGAN SEARLES / The Daily Reveille
[Left] An original blueprint drawn in 1924 shows the tunnel system that runs underneath the Quad. [Top] A ladder leads into the tunnels, and [bottom] pipes carry steam power to buildings. Watch a video of a trip through the tunnels and read an Out of Print blog about the experience at lsureveille.com.