Fraternities at the University of Virginia have been suspended until the spring semester while the institution investigates sexual assault claims made by female students in a
Rolling Stone article about sexual abuse on its campus.
The magazine article, "A Rape on Campus," told of an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity at University of Virginia in 2012. The magazine followed up on Friday when it said students emailed them with other stories of sexual assaults on campus.
The woman who was the subject of the Wednesday story told Rolling Stone she was pressured not to report her rape at the fraternity because it would put the university in a bad light and, "You have to remember where your loyalty lies."
Other students said they felt that the university did not take claims of sexual assault on campus seriously, reported Rolling Stone.
"University of Virginia thinks they're above the law," Liz Seccuro, a victims-rights advocate and University of Virginia graduate told Rolling Stone in the "A Rape on Campus" story. "They go to such lengths to protect themselves. There's a national conversation about sexual assault, but nothing at UVA is changing."
In suspending the fraternities, university president Teresa Sullivan called for a re-examination of the 2012 incident described in the Rolling Stone article and a review of the university policies in a letter to students and alumni.
"As you are aware, I have asked the Charlottesville Police Department to investigate the 2012 assault that is described in Rolling Stone," Sullivan wrote in her letter, according to Rolling Stone. "There are individuals in our community who know what happened that night, and I am calling on them to come forward to the police to report the facts. Only you can shed light on the truth, and it is your responsibility to do so."
The Washington Post reported that hundreds of students and supporters attended a rally Thursday and others marched on campus Friday calling on Sullivan to do more before her suspension of the fraternities on Saturday.
"People were unsatisfied with (Sullivan's) initial response," Retsy Holliday, a senior foreign affairs major, told the Post, complaining about the original plans to cancel fraternity and sorority activities throughout the weekend. "This was our cry for more action. And she responded."
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