UConn Not Hiding From Rape Statistics, Working to Make Campus 'Safer and More Aware'

Storrs, CT — University of Connecticut officials say they aren't hiding from a new report that shows UConn tied for the highest number of rape reports among U.S. colleges in 2014.

In fact university officials say they are not surprised by the numbers because they say they’ve made it much easier for students to report rapes.

Despite the national headlines UConn received after the report, university leaders, students and police all say the college has made numerous strides in making the campus safer for all students.

In fact, officials say the transformation has been two years in the making after the university reached rock bottom on the issue. In 2014, UConn paid $1.3 million to settle claims with five female students over claims it mishandled sexual assault allegations.

A total of 43 rapes were reported in 2014 at UConn, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Brown University also had 43 cases. UConn had reported the figures itself several months ago.

"We have taken a lot of steps toward making it easier to report a sexual assault, but also make the campus safer and more aware."

UConn had 18 reported rapes for the year prior, according to a detailed safety report released by the university.

When asked to react to the numbers, UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said the school was not hiding from them.

“The numbers are the numbers,” she said. “I will say we have taken a lot of steps toward making it easier to report a sexual assault, but also make the campus safer and more aware.”

UConn junior Emily Begue agreed with the latter point, and she has seen the campus from several points of view as first a resident and now a commuter from her Tolland home. She also tends to stay late on campus as a member of the UConn Dance Company and the UConn Tap Team. She also works at the popular UConn Dairy Bar.

“I do not think all the responsibility falls on the university,” she said. “I think all of us have responsibilities. Women are more aware of how to say no. I think guys are also more aware of what no means. I also think that if something does happen, the university is very prepared on how to deal with it.”

UConn Acting Police Chief Hans Rhynhart said the culture had changed, particularly over the past two years, as a result of a lot of effort on the part of administrators, staff members, law enforcement officials and students buying into change.

“We have put a lot of things into place,” he said.

But UConn arguably hit rock bottom first.

The Lawsuit

That was in July 2014 when the university announced it was settling for $1.3 million a Title IX lawsuit brought by five women. They were students at the time. The suit claimed UConn mishandled sexual assault cases and did not promote a culture in which sexual assault was condemned outright.

At the time, UConn was one of 67 colleges and universities being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights about how sexual assault cases are handled.

The Protests

As the legal papers were making their way around the court system, students were making their rounds on the sidewalks on campus.

The two most high-profile events were the annual versions of the “Slut Walk,” a rape culture awareness campaign that originated in 2011 after a Toronto police officer suggested that as a deterrent to sexual assault, women should not dress “like sluts.”

UConn’s Slut Walks traditionally take place in the fall, and just about two months after the lawsuit settlement, students made it clear they wanted more in terms of making the campus safer and a more comfortable place to report a crime.

The Steps

UConn seemed ready to meet the demands. And over the following few months administrators put a system into place designed to make it easier to report sexual assaults. A staff member was hired at the administrative level to concentrate on Title IX issues, and a special victims unit was set up at the health center with cops, counselors and administrators teaming up to investigate reports of sexual assault. That meant a student would not have to travel to an area hospital to be examined with a rape kit.

Preventative measure were also taken.

“Students at all colleges in our state should have the same expectation of safety.”

At the state level, Sen. Mae Flexer, whose district includes UConn, Eastern Connecticut State University and Quinebaug Community College, was a driving force behind the “yes means yes” bill, a piece of legislation that requires all colleges and universities in Connecticut to adopt a uniform standard of consent that shifts the focus off the behavior of the victim.

“This is something the students have asked for and advocated for and also has the strong support of organizations that work with victims of sexual assault,” said Flexer, the vice-chairwoman of the legislative Higher Education Committee. “Students at all colleges in our state should have the same expectation of safety.”

There was also a higher level of sexual assault education put into place at UConn. Incoming freshmen now undergo consent and bystander training during orientation week.

When the concept evolved two years ago, Rhynhart said the premise was to recognize inappropriate behavior early and prevent instances of sexual violence.

“I personally have not experienced something like that, but I am strong-willed and not afraid to say something if a person is bothering me,” Begue said. “I am not afraid to tell a guy to get away from me. But I definitely feel that the school had done a good job of making us aware of the levels of consent. The orientation session did a good job about preparing us for what we could encounter.”

Added Flexer, “Instituting a “yes-means-yes” policy encourages students to think about how they are gaining the consent of their partner. This will also help colleges investigating claims of sexual assault to determine whether a sexual assault has occurred.”

“I am not afraid to tell a guy to get away from me. But I definitely feel that the school had done a good job of making us aware of the levels of consent."

Reitz said the Student orientation program mirrors a policy in place for employees instituted in 2011.

“In 2012, the UConn Board of Trustees adopted a university policy that made nearly all UConn employees required reporters of sexual assault. This has increased the number of reports at UConn, which are reflected in the report numbers,” she said this week. “UConn has significantly increased training for all employees and campus security authorities so they better understand their reporting obligations. There have also been more outreach efforts through UConn’s Office of Diversity and Equity and other University offices, more tools for reporting - including online - and more awareness efforts. Our increased numbers reflect that work as well.”

According to the 2014 report, 17 of the 43 instances were reported directly to UConn police and assigned a case number for investigation and 26 were transmitted by UConn employees and community members.

UConn police made an arrest just this week for an incident in October. Police received a complaint that a campus visitor “forcibly groped” a woman while visiting a “common friend.” Police secured a warrant and charged an Old saybrook man with fourth-degree sexual assault.

“There are several options to report something,” Begue said. “When I was living at South Campus, we had a resident assistant we could go to, who then could go to an administrator. We can also go directly to the police. I pass the police station all the time when I am on campus.”

Community Policing

Begue said UConn police have “a strong presence on campus.” That is the result of a program that Rynhart, the acting chief, said police began emphasizing two opening weekends ago in which plainclothes officers walked the campus on foot, not only enforcing laws and regulations, but also mingling with students “as part of the education process.”

Begue said “the police are out there.”

“The police will even park at the entrance of a party and make sure no one gets through unless he is she knows the person giving the party."

The same goes for off-campus parties and infamous locations like Celeron Square or housing clusters along Hunting Lodge Road that are traditional hot spots for large parties.

“We can see the police out there,” Begue said. “They will even park at the entrance of a party and make sure no one gets through unless he is she knows the person giving the party. They will also stay around.”

Resident State Trooper Sgt. Richard Cournoyer has been assigned to Mansfield since 2011. He said a rape culture procedures have been in place for some time.

“As far as the state police are concerned, our protocol has been in place many, many years. And in any reported case, we follow protocol,” he said.

But ...

“There has been a desire, in conjunction with UConn, to get kids a better education, and that can work hand-in-hand with enforcement,” he said. “The difference between 2011 and 2016 is night and day. It has kind of worked itself out. The kids know us better, and we know them much better. It’s a proactive approach now — a hands-on approach.”

What To Expect

To illustrate the changing culture, Begue used the “Rape Trail” as an example.The trail meanders through a section of campus and is the site of heavy pedestrian traffic both before and after dark.

“You hear about the Rape Trail,” she said. “But I think it is well-lit and we know the police are out there. I feel pretty safe compared to the reputation we heard about.”

Blue security call boxes are scattered not only there, but also throughout campus.

Police anticipate the next Slut Walk to continue the call for action. Cournoyer, though, said things are much better.

“I think the kids are smart and they get it,” Cournoyer said when asked about the bottom line. “All they were ever looking for was guidance. At one point, I am not sure they know right up front. It used to be, ‘Well, I didn’t know. Well, now they know.”

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