The president of the University of Virginia canceled a speech to the National Press Club in favor of speaking to students Monday. She pledged a series of changes to combat sexual assault on campus – among them, forcing fraternities to operate under new rules and pressing police to arrest sellers of date rape drugs.
Teresa Sullivan had planned a holiday reception at her home this Thursday. Instead, she says, the event will be re-purposed into a discussion of sexual assault. Following a Rolling Stone article that detailed incidents of rape at UVA fraternities, Sullivan says the school is drafting new operating agreements with those organizations – contracts that may prohibit serving of hard liquor.
“Serving sweet tasting but high proof punches to women, while the guys sip a few beers is often described as the prelude for taking advantage of the women. Even an alert and careful student who tries the sweet tasting cocktail containing many types of liquor cannot know how much alcohol it contains.”
And, she said, they can’t tell if a date rape drug has been added to the mix.
“Let’s call this by its name. This is poisoning and it should be legally prosecuted as such.”
Sullivan promised greater cooperation with police and urged them to keep date rape drugs away from students.
“If the predators can find the sellers of these drugs, law enforcement should be able to find them.”
UVA’s president made clear that she did not support closing of fraternities, arguing most members are “good and decent people who are just as horrified as we are about all these disgusting allegations and revelations.”
And, she said, it may be time to take another look at how the university works with victims.
“We’ve tried to be responsive to the advocacy groups that emphasize that a traumatized survivor has already had her autonomy taken from her. In the victim-centered approach, the emphasis is on giving choices to the survivor. Many survivors do not want to take action, or they want to think through the options before making any decision. And on the other side, as Chief Timothy Longo told the Board of Visitors last week, timely reporting is critical to law enforcement. Forensic evidence disappears. Witnesses forget or they move away. If we’ve chosen the wrong balance, then it’s time to change that balance.”
She promised programs to try and change campus culture, including a confidential survey of students to improve understanding of sexual misconduct.
Those efforts may be funded in part by a secret seven-member group founded in 1905. In response this latest crisis, the death of student Hannah Graham and two suicides earlier this year, the Seven Society has donated $57,777 and 77 cents to improve student safety and well-being.
The society also hoisted banners at seven locations around campus quoting British poet John Donne.
"No man is an island, entire of itself. Each man's death diminishes me.”
That’s Will Cadagan – one of 25 students invited to hear the president’s speech.
“Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. And what does that mean? What do you think the message was from the Seven Society? I think it’s really just that we’re a community, and we need to respond as a community.”
He belongs to a men’s group that works to prevent sexual assault on campus and advocate for victims. Cadigan thinks members of his fraternity and others will support reforms.
“Fraternity people know that there need to be changes, and now more than ever I think people will be willing to accept these changes.”
He’s also heartened by plans to launch programs this spring that will encourage victims of sexual assault to report those crimes and train bystanders to step-in if they feel a student is in danger.
