To address the safety of the university community, the university is issuing a temporary campus-wide ban on the use and possession of hoverboards and similar modes of transportation on campus. The ban includes all university buildings and parking lots.
No hoverboards or similar devices are permitted on campus for any reason, unless approved in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes self-balancing scooters, battery-operated scooters, and hands-free Segways.
The safety of the members of the Lesley community is our first concern. Given the significant number of wood-frame buildings on campus, the risk of fire is also of concern.
Lesley University prohibits the use and possession of hoverboards because of a series of serious malfunctions of the current batteries. These malfunctions have been linked to fires in 12 states, as well as a significant number of reported serious personal injuries.
On January 21, 2016, the Chairman of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission called for a suspension of all on-line sales of hoverboards until the Commission completes its safety review and appropriate recommendations are implemented.
Many retailers voluntarily pulled hoverboards from their shelves amid reports of fires and explosions caused by poor quality lithium-ion batteries in the devices that are prone to malfunction and overheating.
As of February 1, 2016, 16 fires have been reported across the country. The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating another 22 reports of fires and 70 emergency room visits for associated burn injuries.
Many airlines, businesses, cities and towns, and colleges and universities have already banned hoverboards, until safety issues are resolved.
Lesley’s Public Safety Office reserves the right to confiscate these items if they are found on campus. If any student, faculty, or staff member is found to have violated this policy, it may constitute a violation of our Community Standards of Conduct Policy. That person may be subject to disciplinary action.
Once the Consumer Product Safety Commission completes its safety review, appropriate recommendations are implemented, and hoverboards are found to meet general safety standards, we will reevaluate this campus ban and make updates to this policy.
At that point, we’ll focus our attention on how to address the safe co-mingling of pedestrians and hoverboards, and hoverboard-like vehicles.
February 1, 2016 by Lesley University’s Vice President for Administration