BY KATE TURNER ’21
Mount Holyoke Professor of Art and Chair of Art Studio Rie Hachiyanagi has been charged with multiple counts, including attempted murder, after an alleged attack on another member of Mount Holyoke’s faculty.
Police reported that Hachiyanagi allegedly assaulted the unnamed victim in the victim’s home some time between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2019 with a variety of objects including a rock, a fire poker and gardening shears. According to WWLP, the victim stated to police “that Hachiyanagi showed up to her house wanting to talk about her feelings and attacked her. While the victim opened the door to let Hachiyanagi in the victim said she turned around and Hachiyanagi hit her over the head with ‘something hard’ and then repeatedly hit her over the head.”
The victim, a fellow Mount Holyoke faculty member whose name has not been publicly released, is expected to survive but has been hospitalized with severe injuries.
According to an email sent to the Mount Holyoke community by College President Sonya Stephens on Jan. 3, Hachiyanagi has been placed on administrative leave “and is not permitted on campus pending further review of the incident.” Hachiyanagi was not named in Stephens’ email.
As of Jan. 3, Hachiyanagi is being held without bail in the Franklin County House of Correction pending a Feb. 4 hearing. She was arraigned in Orange County Court, where she pleaded not guilty against the charge of armed assault with attempt to murder a person over the age of 60. Hachiyanagi has also been charged with three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of mayhem and one count of armed assault in a dwelling, according to MassLive.
Hachiyanagi has been a member of Mount Holyoke faculty since 2004. She has taught in the Studio Art, Art History and Asian Studies departments.
In her Jan. 3 email, Stephens wrote, “We take very seriously the safety and well-being of every member of our community, and the College is providing support to impacted parties as appropriate.”
She went on to advise students and faculty of the resources available for their support, including a 24/7 community help line, and added that counseling services will re-open with the Health Center on Jan. 6.
The Mount Holyoke News reached out to several College officials, but none were available for comment on this topic.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and the Mount Holyoke News will continue to update the community as information becomes available. A complete story will be available in the next print edition of the Mount Holyoke News and online on Jan. 31, 2020.