Two individuals, one being the district executive for the Eighth Judicial District of New York, were arrested in the Alumni Arena men’s locker room on Saturday, March 4.
A University Police report states officers went to the scene after a UB student called to report a 25-year-old man, Ethan Carle, who was masturbating in the showers.
Carle was arrested on one count of public lewdness and one count of loitering on school grounds, according to university officials. Andrew Isenberg, the court official, was in the locker room at the time of the incident and was cited for loitering.
Isenberg was given an appearance ticket and released. Before his release later that day, Carle was given two appearance tickets and a persona non grata letter, which states that he is no longer allowed on UB grounds.
Carle was also reported as a suspicious person at Alumni Arena to UPD on Jan. 28. He was not at the scene when police arrived, but security camera footage confirmed Carle was present at Alumni before UPD’s arrival.
Carle is not a student but volunteers at H2O Church Buffalo, a church that is “intent on reaching college students,” according to its website.
Under New York State law, public lewdness is a misdemeanor, while loitering is a violation, a less serious offense.
The acting district executive for the Eighth Judicial District, Tasha Moore, told The Wellsville Sun that Isenberg is now on administrative leave.
As district executive, Isenberg supervises and leads daily operations of the courts in the eight counties of Western New York. He is also a member of the Bar Association of Erie County and an alum of UB’s School of Law.
According to a complaint filed in Amherst Town Court, Isenberg “did intentionally remain in the men’s locker room at Alumni Arena, without permission, authority or reason to be present on the premise, not having any reason or relationship involving custody of or responsibility for a pupil or student.”
“My client, Andrew Isenberg, has not been charged with any criminal offense and had a legitimate reason for being on the campus of his alma mater,” Isenberg’s attorney, Sunil Bakshi, said in a statement,
Since his arrest, Carle appeared in Amherst Town Court and was given an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACD), UPD Deputy Chief Joshua Sticht told The Spectrum.
The ACD, which is customary for non-violent first offenses, states that if Carle doesn’t get arrested in the next six months, the charges will be dismissed. If he gets arrested again within this time period, he will go to trial for the original charges on top of the new ones.
“UB police keep watch of Alumni Arena, as they do at all campus facilities, to ensure the campus is safe and secure,” the university said in a statement to The Spectrum. “If anyone ever observes unusual behavior on campus they are encouraged to call University Police at (716) 645-2222.”
Editor's note: This story was updated on April 2, 2023 to include information from University Police about Carle's court appearance.
Katie Skoog is a features editor and can be reached at katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com
