Journalism Instructor Irene Abrego found a couple having sex in the elevator about 10:20 a.m. April 5 at the southwest corner of Loftin Student Center.
Leaving campus for an appointment, Abrego went to the upstairs elevator and pushed the call button.
"When the doors opened, I saw a very young, Hispanic man with a mustache struggling to pull on his jeans. He looked up and said, 'Oh, sorry, ma'am."
Abrego noticed another person behind him furiously trying to cover up, but she couldn't see the individual or determine the gender.
"I was so shocked I couldn't think straight, but I wish I had thought to order them off the elevator and into the building to call the police," Abrego said.
"I carry a digital camera in my bag, but I was so disgusted, I just reached for my phone to call the police, but of course, they were gone as soon as the door opened again."
This is not the first time something like this has happened at this college.
In a story published by The Ranger on Oct. 20, building attendant Lucy Martinez said people had been having sex in the bathrooms of McCreless Hall for years before she came.
She ran into individuals engaging in sexual activity as frequently as two or three times a week.
Martinez said that she can find them as early as 6 a.m.
Martinez also said individuals had drilled holes in the walls between stalls, with times and dates written alongside when individuals can expect interaction, so they can conduct their sexual acts while the doors are closed.
Most of these individuals are outsiders, she said.
These incidents are not isolated in McCreless, Martinez said.
On Feb. 1, 2002, The Ranger published a story about a male faculty member and a female acquaintance, who were discovered undressed and lying on the floor behind a desk in an office in McCreless Hall during exam week in the fall of 2001 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2001.
The faculty member was not charged with a crime because the incident happened in a faculty office not in a public area, said Don Adams, deputy chief of police at that time.
The Alamo Community College District's policy manual lists an immoral act as an offense that can lead to dismissal.
In a phone interview with President Robert Zeigler April 11, Zeigler said that if something like this occurs then it falls under the jurisdiction of the dean of student affairs, who investigates the case. "Then the dean and I make a decision about a reprimand to the people involved," he said.
"There is no set of rules as to what is to be done in a situation like that," Zeigler said. "We examine each one on a case by case basis, but the consequences can range anywhere from a verbal or written warning all the way to expulsion or suspension from school."
"If a student is expelled or suspended, the student can appeal that decision," Zeigler said.
Cpl. Leonardo Nieves of DPS said an individual caught performing sexual intercourse in a public place may be arrested for public lewdness and charged with a class A misdemeanor which is punishable by jail time.
Anything less than sexual intercourse would fall under disorderly conduct which is a Class C misdemeanor punishable in most cases by a fine under one condition, a third party individual has to complain about being offended to an officer for the officer to issue a citation or take the person into custody, Nieves said.
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