Charges were filed in April 2019 against two men who were accused of two separate sexual assault cases — one on campus in a Shippensburg University residence hall and another off-campus relating to incidents occurring in 2018.
One of the men, a former Shippensburg University student, pleaded guilty on Jan.10 in Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas to charges related to one of 2018 sexual assaults.
Joshua Michael Koumaras, 23, of Phoenixville, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor indecent assault of an unconscious person for actions related to the off-campus incident that occurred between March 3 and 4, 2018.
An unidentified woman reported she was told that Koumaras, an SU student at the time, accompanied her home after a night of drinking at a party on the evening of March 3. The woman said she woke up on March 4 undressed from the waist down and she could not remember coming home with him.
According to police documents, Koumaras said he had sex with the woman but “asked for her consent.”
The woman told police she “would never” have had sex with Koumaras, according to the police report.
Koumaras later told the woman that they had sex that night, after she found out what happened from others, the report said.
In November 2018, Koumaras admitted via text that he and the woman only had sex when he “raped” her. He added, “I could literally be in jail.”
When asked by police if he believed that the woman was raped, Koumaras said, “Yes,” the affidavit of probable cause said.
Felony charges including rape of an unconscious victim and sexual assault were dismissed.
Koumaras’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14 in front of Judge Jessica E. Brewbaker at the Cumberland County Courthouse.
In the second case, Josiah M. Kushner, 21, of Hummelstown, is accused of sexually assaulting a female SU student in September 2018 in her McCune Hall room. He was charged with multiple counts relating to assault, including two second-degree felony sexual assault charges and multiple misdemeanors including strangulation and harassment.
Court documents said Kushner assaulted the woman more than once after they attended an off-campus party where she drank alcohol.
Kushner’s fifth pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 5 at the Cumberland County Courthouse.
Resources for campus community members impacted by sexual assault or misconduct are available through the Women’s Center, Counseling Center, SU Police Department, Dean of Students Office, the SU Title IX Coordinator Dr. Daniel Velez and the United Campus Ministry.
For more information, visit ship.edu/no_more.
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