SaVE our Campuses

The Campus SaVE Act (S.83) is a piece of legislation near and dear to my heart. This week it was reintroduced by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) in partnership with Security on Campus, Inc. (SOC). I was honored to be one of many individuals and organization able to provide input on the legislation, which will change the way many universities handle cases of sexual violence.

SOC is a great non-profit born out of the horrific rape, torture and murder of Jeanne Clery in April 1986. This tragedy occurred in Jeanne's dorm early in the morning at the hands of a fellow student who entered her room and ended her life. Her parent's heart break turned into an organization that has since enacted the Jeanne Clery Act, the Campus Sexual Assault Victim's Bill of Rights, and several other pieces of legislation that are the foundation of how universities address crimes on their campuses.

(Jeanne Clery 1966-1986)

I owe a great debt of gratitude to SOC, which reached out to me when I first publicly exposed the University of Wisconsin's (UW) handling of my rape. They informed me of one last avenue of justice available to me: filing a civil rights complaint with the Department of Education against the UW. If I had never taken this crucial step in seeking justice my story could not have been used to highlight the severe indifference in which institutions deal with the sexual violation of college women. It may seem odd to be thankful for such a fact, but it is now the most powerful part of my story. Truly no level of the justice system was there for me, nor has it been there for many women before me or since.

I firmly believe the Campus SaVE Act represents a turning point in our nation's history of handling campus sexual violence. With the passage of this Act I can look forward to the day where campus victimization is handled properly and justice provided to those who have suffered. The harm of a sexual assault can be mitigated by a supportive and protective campus environment, and I hope this Act cultivates such a desire in universities throughout our nation. 

Donate to Security on Campus, Inc. to suppor their great and life changing work.