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This site was launched on 21 March 2004.
Within the first 7 days
it received nearly 3,000 hits.
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Media coverage began with front page coverage on Tuesday, 23 March 2004,
in the
THE CAVALIER DAILY, the UVA daily newspaper. Television
coverage was provided by
CHANNEL 29 NBC
in Charlottesville, VA and
CHANNEL 8 NBC in Richmond
during their evening broadcasts. The 11 Nov 2004 cover story in
THE HOOK, a Charlottesville weekly publication, provided two
Survivors the first published opportunity to discuss UVA's confidentiality
policies. That article gave UVA students the courage to stage a Silent
Protest on 17 Nov 2004. Local area newspapers, UVA's publication
IRIS,
web blogs, Student Council discussions, and even a mention on Court TV
kept the momentum for a change to the Sexual Assault policy moving
forward. A noted author has also written about the issue of sexual assault
at UVA and will publish her story in a nationally known magazine in early
2006.
The
CBS EARLY MORNING SHOW
aired a segment to coincide with the Conference on Campus Security, which
held in Denver in March 2005.
DATELINE NBC
aired a segment on
campus
assault on 11 Dec 2005 that addressed the problems faced by 5 college
women (one from UVA) when they reported
that they had been raped to their campus Police and Administration.
UVA's Administration was given a "D-" for finding the male
student guilty at the SAB hearing, but still allowing him to remain on
campus without sanction so that he could graduate on time.
The show ended with a comment that "UVA's policies have been
strengthened". That is true, certain policies have been strengthened
- ON PAPER only. Current non-compliance with Federal requirements
established by the Clery Act and Title IX continues to go
unchallenged. Persons who are known to have committed the crime of
sexual assault against another student attend class, parties, games,
and even graduate on time. Sadly, the grade today would still be a
D-.
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MAJOR NETWORK TELEVISION BROADCAST REFERENCES:
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CBS EARLY MORNING SHOW
Cracking Down on Campus Crime
Reported by Lee Cowan, Produced by Jason Sickles
|
  "I
was paying the university money to get an education, not to become a
victim of a crime."CBS
News Correspondent Lee Cowan reports that, while the number of
violent crimes at colleges and universities is down, those charged
with keeping students safe are coming under more and more fire for
not doing enough. [more] |
NBC Dateline
Rape on Campus: Do universities do enough to prevent and condemn
campus sexual assaults?
Reported by Hoda Kotb
|
|
 It’s
supposed to be the best four years of your life. But five young
women “Dateline” spoke to say that for them, college turned into
something very different. Five college students who say they were
sexually assaulted on campus. But this is a story of how their
universities handled their cases. When each of these women reported
being attacked by a fellow student, did their schools act quickly or
strongly enough? Annie, Kate and Samantha, went to the University of
Virginia, Georgetown and William and Mary. All three say they were
raped by fellow students their freshman year of college. All three
reported the alleged assaults to school officials. [more] |
|
Articles from THE HOOK
(Charlottesville's weekly news magazine):
|
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THE HOOK, 25 August
2005 |
|
Her day in court: UVA rape case
goes to trial |
Courteney Stuart
The Hook Senior Editor |
 On
August 29, nearly four years after UVA student Annie Hylton accused
a fellow student of raping her at his fraternity house, her $1.85
million civil suit against him is slated to begin in Charlottesville
Circuit Court. "I'm excited to get my day in court, but you never
know what's going to happen," says Hylton, whose case touched off a
debate because the alleged attacker, Matthew Hamilton, remained a
student-- while the alleged victim, under threat of expulsion,
wasn't even allowed to discuss the case.
[more]
Photo by Jen Fariello |
|
THE HOOK, 24 March
2005 |
|
Face on: UVA tackles rape with new
guidelines |
Courteney Stuart
The Hook Senior Editor |
| Four
months after a UVA student came forward in a Hook cover story to
lambaste UVA for its handling of her sexual assault case, the school
has issued a revised policy based on months of communication with
students, lawyers, and sexual assault victim advocates.
[more] |
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THE HOOK, 25 November 2004 |
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Gags off: Students speak out on
rape |
Courteney Stuart
The Hook Senior Editor |
 Less
than a week after UVA fourth year Annie Hylton revealed the details
of her alleged first-year rape in a Hook cover story, hundreds of
students gather in front of Garrett Hall to protest-- without
words-- what they call UVA's "code of silence."
[more]
Photo by Jen Fariello |
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THE HOOK,
11 November 2004 |
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Cover Story: How UVA Turns Its Back on Rape |
Courteney Stuart
The Hook Senior Editor |
 UVA
has a system to deal with rape among students. A group meets, takes
testimony, and issues rulings-- all in secret. This clandestine
process, combined with what one victim brands a "slap on the wrist"
for rapists, has left several victims wondering who the policy was
designed to protect. Among those wondering is 21-year-old Annie
Hylton.
[more]
Photo by Jen Fariello |
|
Articles from
THE DAILY PROGRESS
(serving Charlottesville and surrounding VA areas):
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THE DAILY PROGRESS,
23 MARCH 2005 |
UVa president notes violence
Casteen says hard work lies ahead for university |
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By Braxton Williams
Daily Progress staff writer
The University of Virginia continues to enjoy
academic excellence and other successes, but an apparent increase in
physical attacks on students and other problems indicate there are
issues to be addressed, President John T. Casteen III said Tuesday.
[more] |
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THE DAILY PROGRESS,
18 MARCH 2005 |
|
UVA Toughens Sex-Assault Policy |
Claudia Pinto
Daily Progress Staff Reporter |
The University of Virginia has strengthened its
procedures for handling sexual assaults following public outcry
ranging from a student protest to a Web site that lambastes the way
UVa handles rape.
The new policy aims to tackle some of the biggest criticisms. It
urges stiffer penalties for sexual assaults, along with speedier and
more efficient trials. It also states that victims should be
informed that they can speak about the trial once it's over.
[more] |
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Articles from THE CAVALIER DAILY (UVA's daily newspaper):
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
25 August 2005 |
Bill Aims to Create College Safety Month
Bill sponsors identify September, beginning of school year as high
risk time period for new college students |
Sanin Adnan
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
|
September is widely recognized as one of the most
dangerous months for college students. The high risk of sexual
assault and other crimes have led Representatives John Duncan,
R-Tennessee, and Mark Greene, R-Wisconsin, to propose a bill that
would designate September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
The bill was proposed at the request of the
University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and Security on Campus, Inc., a
national non-profit group dedicated to making college campuses
safer.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
11 April 2005 |
Lessons Learned
Lead Edit |
|
Hundreds gathered in the Amphitheatre Thursday to
support and listen to the stories of sexual assault survivors. The
vigil was the capstone event of Take Back the Night and also the
culmination of a tumultuous year which saw sexual assault rush into
the spotlight. The months leading up to that drizzling evening were
a whirlwind of protests, Web sites, forums, petitions and newspaper
articles. It is only proper to now step back for a moment and
consider the lessons learned and the path ahead.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
8 April 2005 |
Hundreds attend Take Back the Night
Effort to increase
education concerning sexual assault includes week-long events,
culminates in rally, march, vigil |
Sarah R. Gatsos and Kathleen Meyers
Cavalier Daily News Editors |
|
Despite the rainy weather, rape survivors and their
supporters lit the Amphitheatre with candles as part of the annual
Take Back the Night vigil last night. The event attracted 400 to 500
people, said Lauren Russo, University chapter of the National
Organization for Women external vice president. As a display
of support for sexual assault awareness and education, demonstrators
marched from the Downtown Mall to the Amphitheater for the 17th
annual Take Back the Night event.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
7 April 2005 |
A potentially deafening silence
Opinion |
Sina Kian
Cavalier Daily Opinion Columnist |
|
THIS MONDAY marked the beginning of the University's
annual Take Back the Night week, a series of events climaxing
tonight with a vigil at 8 p.m. in the Amphitheatre. The gravity of
this event renders it more deserving of attendance than any other
University program. If for nothing else, students should participate
tonight to support those who have been sexually assaulted and
betrayed by the community of trust they so optimistically joined. By
contrast, members of the University's administration have a
wonderful opportunity to rectify an allegedly poor record on sexual
assault
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
4 April 2005 |
A series on sexual assault
Chris Wilson
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
 A
four part series focused on the "hell and back" scenario a young
woman faces when she is raped. Part One will set the tone -and in a
short space try to convey the devastating and emotional breakdown
experienced by a woman who has been raped, followed by subsequent
articles on how the University handles allegations
of sexual assault. Questions will be raised: What is it like to bring up sexual assault
charges to the police or the SAB? What is the timeline of events? How effective are the resources
available? Is the accused allowed more evidence options than the
victim? What impact does bringing up charges have on a person? Is
the SAB a successful way to administer justice and deter sexual
assault? This series will stimulate discussion and suggest
answers to these questions rather than debate the merits of the
case.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
4 April 2005 |
Stories that speak for themselves
Opinion |
Katie Cristol
Cavalier Daily Opinion Columnist |
|
THERE are numbers that do not need to be spoken for.
Like two. As in the number of minutes that pass before a woman
somewhere is sexually assaulted. Or one in five. The number of boys
that the American Medical Association estimates will be sexually
assaulted by the time they reach the age of eighteen. 16. The
percentage of Nigerian hospital patients treated for sexually
transmitted infections who are under five years old. 300,000.
Worlwide, women raped every year by a spouse or intimate partner.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
31 March 2005 |
Walking the talk
Opinion |
Sina Kian
Cavalier Daily Opinion Columnist |
|
AFTER a semester's worth of collaboration and effort,
a new set of sexual assault procedures have been released. These
changes are designed not only to strengthen punishments against
sexual offenders but also to facilitate the adjudication process,
both in speed and efficiency. While the passage of such alterations
is certainly a large and wonderful step forward, it should by no
justification be the last.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
25 March 2005 |
Punish to fit the crime
Opinion |
Sophia Brumby
Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer |
|
THE UNIVERSITY'S revised sexual assault policies,
released last week, demonstrate a substantial and necessary change
from previous policy, with an increased focus on the prevention of
sexual offenses while providing adequate protection and support for
the victims of sexual assault. This new policy, however, falls short
of promising a substantial change in punishment for those convicted
by the University's Sexual Assault Board.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
21 March 2005 |
Good Policy, good implementation
Lead Edit |
|
Last week, the University released newly revised
sexual assault policies that, to many people's delight, incorporated
substantive changes requested by students. This iteration of the
procedures, modified from January's draft, provides for a standing
advisory committee on sexual assault, written documentation after a
hearing of the Sexual Assault Board's rationale as well as the
concept of "effective consent," requiring "words or actions that
show a voluntary agreement" before engaging in sexual activity. The
administration and student advocates should be heartily praised for
their efforts in crafting these reasonable principles; the task that
now lies ahead is ensuring their judicious implementation
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
17 March 2005 |
U.Va. adopts new sexual assault policy
Changed policy defines terms of
confidentiality; Sexual Assault Board to form permanent advisory
committee including student member |
Chris Hall
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
|
A newly revised set of polices and procedures for
dealing with sexual assault in the University community was
announced by Vice President of Student Affairs Patricia Lampkin
yesterday. Additionally, the Sexual Assault Board has adopted a new
set of operating principles including the suggestion to form a
permanent advisory committee to research the issue of sexual assault
within the University. Among the revisions to the University's
procedures for cases of sexual assault, the confidentiality required
during the Sexual Assault Board's hearing is more clearly defined,
SAB Chair Shamim Sisson said.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
2 February 2005 |
SALC reacts to revised assault procedures
Student Assault Leadership Council presents
response to University administrators, offers suggestions for trial
case action |
Ashley Simpson
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
|
The Student Assault Leadership Council presented its
first response to the University administration for the
recently-revised sexual assault policy report, which bestows victims
with more flexibility to make their case public. SALC Chair Sloane
Kuney said the memo proposed suggestions for all aspects of the
committee's procedures. Issues such as confidentiality, definitions
of offenses, training for Sexual Assault Board members, SAB trial
procedures and sexual violence education were included in the
document.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
24 January 2005 |
Time For New Ideas
Lead Edit |
|
Hopefully, most students are by now aware of the fact
that the administration has posted revised sexual assault procedures
online. After a high-profile protest and one survivor's public
discussion of her experiences, the University student body should be
examining the altered procedures and taking advantage of a comment
period to let administrators know of additional changes they would
like to see. Revising the procedures (particularly in further
outlining the rules governing the sticky issue of confidentiality)
and allowing time for community input is undoubtedly a good-faith
effort on the part of the administration. But the seriousness of the
issue demands that further action be taken regarding how the
University handles sexual assault -- in the form of a discussion
that questions everything and explores anything.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
20 January 2005 |
University revises sexual assault policy
University administration releases revised
sexual assault procedures to community, encourages students to
review new policy |
K.C. Hall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer |
|
In response to recent criticism of the University's
sexual assault policy, the University administration released a
preliminary revision of the policy. In a Jan. 13 e-mail, Vice
President for Student Affairs Pat Lampkin urged students to read the
revised sexual assault procedures.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
7 December 2004 |
|
Building a safe community |
Clare Kaplan
Cavalier Daily Guest Columnist |
|
Recent publicity regarding the University's sexual
assault policies has raised awareness -- and revealed a great deal
of anger, sadness and anxiety -- within the U.Va. community. As
difficult and painful as these feelings may be, this is an
opportunity to open up the conversation not only about how the
University addresses rape and sexual assault, but about the aspects
of our culture that support sexual and domestic violence. From a
concerned parent's Web site, to the strong statements from President
John T. Casteen, III Casteen and Vice President for Student Affairs
Pat Lampkin, to the hundreds of students recently gathered for a
silent protest, this conversation has begun to take on new urgency.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
2 December 2004 |
Student groups offer feedback on U.Va. sexual
assault policy
Sexual Assault Leadership Council organizes meeting to gather
community input on sexual assault policy, plans to draft proposed
changes into letter for University administrators
|
Matt Galati
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
|
On the heels of protests and increased media
attention to the University's sexual assault policy, the Sexual
Assault Leadership Council held a "community concerns" meeting last
night in the Physics building to collect input. The meeting
consisted of small group discussions headed by various leaders of
University groups associated with sexual assault topics.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
1 December 2004 |
Ongoing fight for victims'rights
Sexual Assault Leadership Council organizes meeting to gather
community input on sexual assault policy, plans to draft proposed
changes into letter for University administrators
|
Kristin Brown
Cavalier Daily Columnist |
|
TWO WEEKS ago, University students lined the
sidewalks by Garrett Hall and the Amphitheater in silent protest
against sexual assault -- and the University's asinine way of
handling it. The University's sexual assault policy had been
discussed recently in the media, most notably in a revealing article
in The Hook about Annie Hylton, a University student fighting the
University's procedures, and the flaws in the policy.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
1 December 2004 |
|
The price of transparency |
Nick Chapin
Cavalier Daily Columnist |
|
LAST WEEK hundreds of students, staff and faculty
members assembled in silent protest of the University's sexual
assault policy. The demonstration targeted, among other things, the
Sexual Assault Board's confidentiality policy, which prevents those
involved in proceedings from speaking out and precludes the release
of all trial records. The protest was certainly praise-worthy.
Indeed, the arcane ethos of secrecy surrounding sexual assault at
the University has gone on too long. Our system is in desperate need
of immediate change in favor of an open system that will allow
community scrutiny. But the implications of such a move will likely
upset those currently protesting the sexual assault policy more than
they realize.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
23 November 2004 |
Statements address U.Va. sexual assault procedures
Casteen, Lampkin release responses to criticism of sexual assault
policy, indicate interest in school discussion
|
K.C. Hall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer |
|
The University detailed its sexual assault policy and
potential changes in two statements by top officials released
yesterday and posted to the University's Web page. The statements
from President John T. Casteen, III and Patricia Lampkin, vice
president of student affairs, both referred to recent concerns
expressed within the University community about the school's policy
toward reported incidents of sexual assault.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
22 November 2004 |
|
Protesting sexual assault and enforced silence |
Kurt Davis
Cavalier Daily Health and Sexuality Columnist |
|
In the fall of 1990, an opinion piece about graffiti
on the stall walls of a central campus bathroom naming alleged
rapists ran in the Brown Daily Herald. The "underground list" became
the center of controversy with claims of unfair accusations and
libel. "It began with a single sentence inscribed inside a stall,"
Jesselyn Alicia Brown writes in "Just Sex.""There, in a forum that
guaranteed a female-only audience and anonymity, a woman had
written, '____________ is a rapist.'"
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
19 November 2004 |
Create Sexual Assault Commission
Lead
Edit
|
|
With a powerful silent protest held Wednesday that
highlighted community discontent with the University's handling of
sexual assault, the impetus for change with regard to this serious
policy issue is undeniable. The often-cited statistic that one in
four college women will either be the victim of rape or attempted
rape is staggering, but just as staggering is the fact that 95
percent of cases go unreported. Community members involved in this
week's demonstration are well aware of the numbers, and the
administration must respond to their activism with decisive and
tangible reforms to establish a sufficient system of justice and
support for survivors.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
18 November 2004 |
Students Stage Silent Protest
Several
hundred students hold silent demonstration against U.Va.'s sexual assault policy
|
Mary Pumphrey
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
What began as an e-mail to 15 students calling for a response to the
University's sexual assault policy turned into a silent crowd of
hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered on Grounds
yesterday to call for changes in a system that organizers termed
inadequate at responding to and preventing sexual assault.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
17 November 2004 |
Confronting Sexual Assault
Mother of alleged victim
criticizes administration's sexual assault policy, seeks expulsion of
convicted offenders
|
Elliott Haspel
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
|
YOU KNOW someone who has been raped. Statistically,
it's true: one in four college women have been subject to completed
or attempted rape. The actual number of sexual assaults is orders of
magnitude higher than the reported number -- you know a survivor.
The University must act swiftly and purposefully to confront this
monster. Just as the administration brought about a President's
Commission on Diversity and Equity, they must now initiate a
President's Commission on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
16 November 2004 |
UVA Confidential
Lead Edit
|
|
After a decision by the federal Department of
Education on a similar case at Georgetown University, U.Va. is
currently working to change its confidentiality policy regarding the
Sexual Assault Board. As the policy currently stands, students are
asked to verbally agree to not make public the results of their
hearings, with violations possibly resulting in disciplinary action
such as UJC charges. The University's policy is not as strict as
Georgetown's was, in which victims could not learn the outcome of
their hearings unless they signed a confidentiality agreement to not
reveal them. But the seriousness of sexual assault and the need for
scrutiny of the system demand that the University completely drop
all requirements and recommendations for confidentiality as soon as
possible.
[more] |
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THE CAVALIER DAILY,
10 November 2004 |
Consent Campaign Focuses on Education
Sexual
Assault Board, Parents Program among organizers of presentations on
consent in intimate relationships
|
Amir Khoddami
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
The University Sexual Assault Board, along with the
Parents Program and other student organizations held one of two
presentations last night in the Newcomb Art Gallery as part of a
three-week Consent Campaign.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
8 November 2004 |
Victim criticizes Sexual Assault Board policy
University woman states she was told to keep proceeding confidential
or face disciplinary action
|
Mary Pumphrey
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
When fourth-year Education student Annie Hylton was
raped in December of 2001, she chose to confront her attacker, a
fellow student, through the University's sexual assault adjudication
process. Specifically, she chose to initiate Sexual Assault Board
proceedings against the man who she says raped her in his fraternity
house.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
1 November 2004 |
U.Va. to rethink confidentiality policy
Mother of alleged victim
criticizes administration's sexual assault policy, seeks expulsion of
convicted offenders
|
Mary Pumphrey
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
A recent challenge to Georgetown University's sexual
assault adjudication confidentiality policies may lead the
University to change its own Sexual Assault Board procedures, Senior
Associate Dean of Students Shamin Sisson said.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
19 October 2004 |
A Distinct Crime
Parent
Editorial Opinion
(Response to Sexual
Assault penalties Disputed, THE CAVALIER DAILY, 18 October 2004) |
Lyda Costello Kiser
Woodstock, VA |
|
As the parent of a second-year student, it is with
great concern that I read the comments of Senior Associate Dean of
Students Shamim Sisson in The Cavalier Daily yesterday ("Sexual
assault penalties disputed"). The idea that a University
administrator makes statements that, in cases of sexual assault,
there is "an obligation to look to the accused student's state of
mind and motivation" or to classify whether the accused is "a
calculated perpetrator" or an "opportunist" who "didn't understand
what they were doing" is offensive.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
18 October 2004 |
Sexual Assault Penalties Disputed
Non application of single sanction angers some in the University
community
|
Mary Pumphrey
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer |
|
At a University that values the integrity of its
community so highly, some students are asking why an offense against
trust -- sexual assault (including forcible rape) -- is not enforced
by the single sanction when lying (even if it's to a professor about
being sick when you were actually hung over), stealing (even if that
means participating in the famed fake Brown swipe at Newcomb Dining
Hall) or cheating (on even the most minor of assignments) are all
subject to the honor code's strict sanctions.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
9 April 2004 |
Students fill streets for Take Back the Night
16th annual event looks to increase
awareness of violence, sexual assault |
A.j. Frank
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor |
 Chanting "one-in-four, one-in-four, we won't take it anymore,"
hundreds of demonstrators marched from the downtown amphitheatre to
the Rotunda in the 16th annual Take Back the Night, an event to
raise community awareness about sexual assault and domestic
violence.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
29 March 2004 |
Educating and Adjudicating
Lead Edit
|
|
Last week, several events at the University were held to raise awareness
about both sexual assault and the resources available to address it. A
mock sexual assault hearing on Wednesday allowed students to better
understand how hearings of the Sexual Assault Board (SAB) are conducted.
An informal discussion on Thursday let concerned members of the
community come together to address a wide variety of issues relating to
sexual assault, from its definition to education and sanctioning. These
events, while invaluable in encouraging a dialogue about such a pressing
issue on college campuses, are only two steps among the many more needed
in the ongoing process of reforming the University's judicial system and
encouraging educational efforts regarding sexual assault. [more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
29 March 2004 |
Forum debates sexual assault policies
Event staged after site criticizes University's treatment of sexual
assault cases, participants say punishments not harsh enough |
Allison
Sherrier
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer |
 An informal discussion last night addressed the University's
policy on sexual assault in the wake of public criticism from a parent who
alleged that her daughter, a University student, was raped.
[more] |
|
THE CAVALIER DAILY,
25 March 2004 |
SAB holds mock sexual assault hearing
Two students present fabricated
testimonies about alleged sexual assault, followed by audience
discussion |
|
