"The facts on campus sexual assault are so commonly stated by now that to repeat them feels like a broken record — but let’s go for it one more time. 1 in 5 women will become a victim of sexual violence during her time in college. Alcohol is the most frequently used weapon in sexual assaults. Over 55 colleges and universities — Hobart and William Smith, Yale, and Brown among them — are currently under investigation for failing to handle sexual assault on campus in a just way, thus violating the rights of their students under Title IX, the Clery Act, and the Campus SaVe Act.
Although more data could help us find a broader solution, the localized, campus community solution of finding committed administrators with knowledge of these issues to properly handle these cases in a dignified manner is still proving to be a huge challenge. Many of these “horror stories” are blatant violations of the law and of survivors’ rights in these situations, including Anna’s experience of having been identified as the accuser to her rapists and members of the campus community before the case began and being unable to have legal counsel present in her hearing. There is also a blatant disregard for the truth in hers and so many other cases, which we don’t need data to see. When your ruling contradicts medical findings, DNA evidence, and multiple witness statements, what is the point of having a hearing?”
