Bridgewater State Almost Welcomes a Level 3 Sex Offender
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, The town of Bridgewater’s Police posted on Facebook and identified Joshua Miguel, a 51-year-old level 3 sex offender who had enrolled here at Bridgewater State University. Miguel received two convictions for raping and abusing a child, disseminating matters harmful to minors, and one charge of raping a child with force in 2013.
The post gained traction, and the university quickly saw the alert and took action to get the offender unenrolled in the university. Miguel had lied on his admissions application under the question asking if you have any criminal charges.
However, this is not the only university that Joshua Miguel was enrolled in. In an email within the following week, Bristol Community College, located in Fall River, released a statement that the same individual attended and graduated from Bristol Community College, and that they were aware of his status and followed the established “Sex Offender Communication Policy.”
Level 3 sex offenders have a high chance of repeating; this one was able to still attend and graduate and almost attended our institution. Both instances draw attention to a massive question: Do BSU and colleges around the world need background checks? Are admission councils thoroughly reviewing their applicants to ensure the safety of all students, or focusing more on the money they can squeeze from their potential applicants?
