Northwestern Sexual Assault Open Letter

EVANSTON, IL — Following an announcement last Thursday from Northwestern University that it would not take any further action against a fraternity over allegations of sexual assault, an open letter from students condemning the decision has been signed by hundreds of students. The letter is addressed to Northwestern University's Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin. It asked the university's administration to do more to change the culture of sexual assault on campus. It was composed and distributed by the incoming president and vice president of Northwestern's Associated Student Government, juniors Nehaarika Mulukutla and Roalie Gambra.

Read the full text of the letter below:

The students of this campus are ready to end the normalization of sexual assault. You said that the University “strives to create a campus that is safe and secure.” Dr. Telles-Irvin, we have the opportunity to bring about that change on campus. Many of our demands have already been presented to you in a previous student petition when the investigations began. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, none of them have been implemented in the last three months. Rather, your letter exemplified the continuous lack of meaningful, tangible actions through which the university plans to combat the pervasive culture of sexual assault at Northwestern.

We must work together to end our campus’s sexual assault epidemic. We students know that the 65 cases that were filed under Title IX against students in the 2015-2016 academic year—only 8 of which resulted in suspension, expulsion, or exclusion of a student—are a mere fraction of the actual number of incidents on this campus. Most survivors don’t want to begin the reporting process with a hostile and dismissive administration on a campus that has demonstrated time and time again that it does not care about them. The Title IX process must support survivors during reporting and cannot continue to be a source of trauma for victims.

Preventing future assaults will require a major culture shift on campus. This change will be difficult, but after conversations with over 60 student groups and campus leaders, we firmly believe there are several tangible action items that can make this shift possible. Ending the Dry campus policy and Freshman Freeze would make campus safer for all students. We must create more First Year Engagement programming to explore the topic of sexual violence, with specific focus on how marginalized identities are increasingly affected by these traumas. We also believe that student leaders should have CARE training, and we should support reform initiatives within IFC to ensure individuals and organizations complicit with sexual assault and harassment are held accountable.

If the best support that the university can offer to survivors is “information on how to contact local police” or referencing the “information and resources … on the Sexual Misconduct website” then it is absolutely failing to support survivors. Survivor resources must include: increased university funding for CARE, which relies on dwindling government grants; a liaison with NorthShore Health Services to end the predatory practice of charging for rape kits; restoration of counseling services to the Women’s Center, and accommodations for trauma survivors, even those who choose not to pursue an investigation.

In the fight against sexual violence, continued inaction is complicity. We are prepared to work with you to change Northwestern for the better—but the administration must be prepared to listen and act. Northwestern students will not stop fighting to make our campus safer. Having heard our outrage, we hope you will decide to fight with us.

Signed by more than 200 members of the Northwestern community.

Top photo courtesy Eric Fredricks (CC)