Rallying cries filled the quad after Amanda Gould yelled “I’m f***ing angry” into a megaphone from the steps of Battelle. She was one of dozens gathered to protest the university’s failure to address sexual assault. They gathered to support the Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV) protest against the university for its lack of sexual assault education. They marched through campus to deliver a petition to the university’s president, Neil Kerwin, and the Vice President of Campus Life, Gail Hanson.

Chris DeSett, a survivor of sexual assault, told the crowd that the university “can’t fake ignorance any longer. We have a sexual violence problem on our campus.” 

Several scandals have gripped the university over the past year, most notably EI and the recent allegations of “unwanted sexual advances” by former Student Government presidential candidate, Bryan Paz. SASV argues the university’s task force, which was made this year to tackle sexual violence, is not doing enough. Pointing to the recent Title IX investigation, AU is facing pressures from both the government and students to change its sexual assault policies.

From Battelle, the protestors marched to Neil Kerwin’s residence, all the while chanting phrases including, “We demand mandatory education,” pointing to AU’s compromise of an “implied mandate” to the task force’s recommendations of an actual mandate. Chants of “Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes mean yes and no means no.”  

They arrived to Kerwni’s house, and one of his representatives met the crowd and accepted the petition on his behalf after it was read aloud. Here is a link to the petition. “We didn’t expect him to come out,” Faith Ferber, a founding member of SASV said. “He never does.” 

The protestors then marched to the office of Campus Life where Gail Hanson, who did little more than anger the protestors further, met them. Hanson told the group that she “appreciated their advocacy” and the university has “been on this since ’09.” She also argued that every year the “university gets better.”

These words did nothing to quell the crowd who interrupted many times to argue that the university was not doing anything to prevent sexual assault and that is what most students are asking for. Hanson replied that the new campus-wide program, StepUp has been a success. The protesters countered, stating a student was assaulted during the very first week of the fall semester, after StepUp was implemented. 

Hanson then stated that men must be taught that they must “be respectful” in regards to women, a comment that enraged several, reminding Hanson that anyone can be a victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. They further argued that the university engages in “victim blaming” rather than placing responsibility on the perpetrators. 

“What angers me most is the university saying they’re on our side and doing what students want when they clearly aren’t. Students are demanding education, but that isn’t what is being done,” Ferber said.  

SASV asks for sexual assault education to be a required two-hour training session during welcome week, with renewed seminars as students go through the university. They are also asking for a centralized sexual assault center to better enable victims to file reports and force their perpetrators to take responsibility for their actions. But most importantly, they are asking for the university to teach students how to prevent sexual assault rather than simply reacting to scandals when they arise. They argue, “Reaction is not the same as prevention.”

They also argue that if one does not complete the mandatory sexual assault seminars, they should not be allowed to register for classes. For example, if a student has more than $25 in library fines, they cannot register for classes. 

“Why is more important to block registration due to library fines but not when it comes to ensuring the safety of the student body?” the protestors asked Hanson. 

Furthermore, they are angered by the response of the university after one has experienced sexual assault. The filing of a report is a complicated process that many survivors are unsure how to navigate. Some protestors argued that even if one is able to navigate the process, the reports are met with hostility by the university rather than support and action. 

Nearly a year after e-mails were leaked from brothers of an illicit fraternity, Epsilon Iota (EI), SASV argues nothing has been done to change the “rape culture” on campus. Faith Ferber, one of the founders of the club, yelled into the megaphone “we cannot wait for one more scandal, one more assault; one more is too many!” 

One month ago, a Title XI lawsuit was launched against AU for violating rights. Title IX is a federal civil right guaranteeing all college students the right to be free of sex discrimination. The current investigation against the university has to do with its handling of sexual violence violations. AU is just one of 104 universities under investigation for similar violations by the Department of Education. 

While the Department of Education states “that a college or university’s appearance on this list and being the subject of a Title IX investigation in no way indicates at this stage that the college or university is violating or has violated the law,” in the press release from May, 2014 when the investigation began. SASV sees the investigation as further proof that AU is not doing enough to keep its students safe. 

Though the investigation is just beginning, it could result it reduction of federal funding. All colleges and universities that receive federal funding are required by law to comply with Title IX rules and regulations. Should the investigation conclude that AU has violated these, it may result in a loss of funding to the university. 

The protest speaks to the growing issue of sexual assault that has gripped universities across the country in the past few years. Though AU argues that it has implemented steps and policies to curb the issue, students argue it is not enough. They want they university to take responsibility for their mistakes and inaction and help create a safer environment for all students. There is hope among some that the Title IX investigation will spur the university to implement greater changes, yet many remain doubtful. 

It is fairly certain the university will miss SASV’s deadline of April 15 in responding to petition, as they have already missed several past deadlines where they promised to keep the group up-to-date on developments. 

In the end, today’s protest did little more than further anger the protestors. Hanson’s comments boiled the blood of several, one student going so far as to say, “She made it worse. I think people are more angry now than when we started.” 

*Update: AU opened and closed the investigation on Bryan Paz. No charges were pressed.