Prosecutors say a Rutgers dean recorded “upskirt” videos on campus, and the university moved fast to bar him from the community while the criminal case begins.
Story Snapshot
- State prosecutors charged Rutgers research dean Josh Kohut with invasion of privacy.
- Officials say “upskirt” videos were found on one of his devices.
- Rutgers placed him on leave and banned him from campus.
- The fourth-degree charge can mean up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors Detail Alleged Secret Recordings On Campus
New Jersey prosecutors charged Josh Kohut, a 51-year-old dean of research at Rutgers University, with invasion of privacy after investigators found “upskirt” videos on one of his devices. Officials said the videos were recorded while he worked at Rutgers in New Brunswick. The attorney general’s office described the alleged filming as a criminal act. Court documents, reported by major outlets, also point to multiple electronic devices seized during the probe. If convicted, the fourth-degree offense can bring up to 18 months in prison.
Authorities did not release the name of any victim. They said the recordings were made without the subject’s knowledge. The case now moves to court, where Kohut can contest the charge. An arrest is not a conviction, and he is entitled to a defense. The public facts, though, are already reshaping Rutgers’ response and the wider debate over hidden recordings at schools. That debate has only grown as phones and tiny cameras spread into every corner of daily life.
Rutgers Acts Quickly To Limit Risk And Signal Standards
Rutgers placed Kohut on administrative leave and barred him from campus as soon as the charge became public. The school framed the allegations as “extremely disturbing,” and said it would protect students, faculty, and staff during the case. This fast action fits a common pattern at large universities. When a senior leader faces a serious trust breach, schools move first to reduce risk, then let courts sort the facts. That approach serves safety, clarity, and accountability.
Speed matters in cases like this. Students and employees need to know the school will draw a hard line on privacy and dignity. Conservative common sense supports that stance: protect the innocent, enforce clear rules, and hold leaders to higher standards. No institution can function if people fear secret filming in classrooms, labs, or hallways. The policy goal is simple and fair. Set bright lines. Enforce them without drama. Let the legal process work.
Why “Upskirting” Is Treated As A Serious Privacy Crime
Courts and legal scholars have treated close-range hidden recordings as a real privacy harm even in semi-public places. People do not give up bodily privacy just because they walk through a hallway. A major court ruling in Canada drew that line in a school setting, finding a teacher guilty of voyeurism for covert student recordings inside common spaces. The court said normal school life does not erase a student’s reasonable privacy expectations. That logic tracks with American privacy norms.
The basic principle is easy to grasp. The state has a duty to protect citizens from secret, sexualized recordings of their bodies. Schools, as custodians of young adults and staff, have an even higher duty. Law follows that duty by criminalizing voyeurism and related conduct. Technology does not weaken these rules. It heightens the need for them. Miniature cameras are cheap and common. That makes swift deterrence and strong sentences even more important to protect the vulnerable.
What Happens Next In A Case With High Stakes
The criminal case will proceed through standard steps: discovery, motions, and potential plea talks or trial. Prosecutors will build their case from device contents, location data, and any eyewitness or digital trails. The defense will test the warrants, chain of custody, and the state’s theory of intent. Judges often weigh whether the subject had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the specific setting. That point, once murky, has grown clearer with modern case law.
Rutgers University dean caught filming ‘upskirt’ videos: ‘extremely disturbing charges’ https://t.co/rVUCUmrIlg
— Dian (@Dian5) August 26, 2026
Rutgers will likely keep Kohut off campus while the case advances. If the charge holds, expect discipline to follow fast. If the case fails, expect a careful review of how the university applied its policies. Either way, the episode warns leaders in every institution. Guard the culture, not just the door locks. Train staff. Post clear rules. Punish breaches. The message is blunt but right: respect people’s bodies, or face criminal consequences and the end of your career.
Sources:
nypost.com, nytimes.com, supremoamicus.org
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