Wednesday marks four years since the release of “The Hunting Ground,” a jarring documentary recounting sexual assault on college campuses throughout the U.S. The documentary covers schools of all types: storied Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Florida State University’s celebrated football player. But, the documentary clearly directs its attention toward one school: UNC.
In 2013, preceding “The Hunting Ground,” a federal complaint filed by five individuals, claiming their Title IX rights were violated by the University, was released. Two of the individuals, Annie Clark and Andrea Pino, were the focus of the documentary.
Clark and Pino were, and are, heroes. It takes a special kind of bravery to stand up to an institution as large as the University, and then to share their story on a national stage. Women like them, women like alumnus Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and any people, regardless of gender, who are survivors of this horrendous crime, deserve to be celebrated and admired.
There are still people hurting. Not every victim of sexual assault has received the sort of validation that arose in the aftermath of documentary’s release. Not every victim of sexual assault — including campus sexual assault — has been gifted with the attention our society so lavishly sheds on other individuals, even those who perpetuate it.
We are privileged to attend this university. We are afforded many luxuries. Active prevention of sexual assault should be one of them.
In June 2018, the investigation into the University's Title IX violation was completed. UNC was found out of compliance. According to a DTH article, the University never admitted their violation, but agreed to be more transparent about their Title IX policies.
The most damning violation was the failure to resolve cases within the time frame of 60 days (now rescinded by Betsy DeVos). According to the investigation report, only five out of the 18 formal investigations conducted from 2014 to 2016 were resolved within the time frame. One extended to 213 days.
Seven months after the investigation, Carol Folt, who was chancellor at the time, abruptly resigned. We fear that the improvements that were being made after the investigation would come to a halt, overshadowed by politics in the administration and civil unrest on campus. Now that we have an interim chancellor, the Editorial Board calls for Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz to refrain from sweeping sexual assault under the rug. No one should have to wait 213 days for their case to be resolved.
