Organization provides tips for Tigerland bar employees on ways to spot potential sexual harassment and assault

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - One group is targeting the Tigerland bars trying to make things safer, after a wild night of underage drinking led to the death of an LSU student.

On Thursday, February 2, The House in Tigerland partnered with the non-profit organization called, ‘Safe Bar Network’ where employees got bystander intervention training to increase safety for bar patrons.

WAFB’s cameras were not allowed inside the bar during the training, but we did receive photos of the event.

“We were contacted by The House to conduct a training. They just wanted to make sure their staff knew about active bystander skills, how to spot out situations, how to intervene,” said Akilah Iyare, with ‘Safe Bar Network.’

It’s a nonprofit organization that partners with alcohol-serving venues across the country.

Iyare says dozens of employees at the bar, along with managers and owners of other bars in Tigerland attended the event.

“A lot of people think that you have to put an S on your chest and jump in and say, oh no this is terrible, alcohol is bad. But that’s not what we teach. We teach how to have a safe night out, and how to ensure that your employees understand that that is their main goal,” said Iyare.

This comes weeks after deputies say LSU student Madison Brooks was allegedly sexually assaulted in a car, shortly after leaving Reggie’s Bar with the four men she met there.

The attorneys representing the teens say the sex was consensual.

And since then, Reggie’s alcohol license has been temporarily suspended. Prompting other college bars in the area to remain vigilant.

“So, it’s not necessarily ways to spot sexual assault, but ways to prevent it. So we make sure that we go over like preventive measures. So these measures could be things like, making sure that you don’t underserve, making that you’re noticing if someone’s in an uncomfortable situation, just being able to kind of be that liaison and friend in that community and also being an employee,” said Iyare.

Officials with ‘Safe Bar Network’ say that after the training, 97% of their participants know at least one way that they could prevent sexual harassment and assault, if they are ever put in that difficult position.

“My best advice is just to be vigilant. Be vigilant, make sure that you’re understanding your customer base, make sure that you’re understanding your role as a seller, server as well,” said Iyare.

We’re told LSU President William Tate is meeting with the owners of Tigerland Bars on Friday at 10 a.m.

Still no word from LSU about what exactly will be discussed.

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