Almost 150 students have signed a petition calling for the College to consider expelling students found guilty of sexual assault.
The petition, which was written by Megan Gaphardt '96, states, "We believe that such offenders should face dire consequences for their abusive actions -- namely, that COS should consider expulsion from the College as a realistic punishment for judgment of sexual abuse."
The petition will be submitted to Dean of the College Lee Pelton by the end of the term, according to Cassie Ehrenberg '96, a member of the Rape Education Action Committee. Pelton chairs the Committee on Standards, which adjudicates cases of student misconduct.
REACT member Kirsten Doolittle '96 said while REACT supports the petition, the group did not start the petition drive. Doolittle said Gaphardt is responsible for the circulation and organization of the drive.
The idea to create the petition "began with reading a COS report last year and being surprised that a man found guilty of rape got only a four-term suspension," Gaphardt said.
This is the same penalty that was imposed on a student found guilty of plagiarism, Gaphardt said.
But Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson, who said he has not heard of the petition, said each case is treated individually. He said the petition may be unnecessary.
"I wish they had come into talk to me, Pelton or Marcia Kelly, the undergraduate judicial affairs officer," Nelson said. "We're willing to talk to anyone who is concerned about this issue."
Pelton could not be reached for comment.
Many women on campus said they support the petition's goals.
"I sincerely hope Dean Pelton will listen to the voices of women on this campus and quickly move to change the COS and College policy," said Lauren Currie '96, the president of Sigma Delta sorority.
"Expulsion is the best answer for removing such criminals from our community," Currie said.
The petition was born last week at a REACT discussion session, said Gaphardt, who is a member of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority.
"I was at a REACT road show with my pledges last Tuesday and asked what the policy for assigning punishment was ... That was the beginning," Gaphardt said.
"The 50 or 60 women there were upset and another sister asked to sign a petition, and I offered to write it," she said. "It was a joint effort."
"We need to take a strong stance on women and men's safety. Only a small percentage ever report being abused," Gaphardt said. "It's a lot harder for a woman to come forth if her abuser is going to be back on campus next year."
Gaphardt said although the petition demands stronger punishment for assailants, not every person found guilty should be expelled from the College.
"To the best of our knowledge, there has not been an expulsion in the past decade," Ehrenberg said. The COS "does consider it an option. The petition says to consider it more seriously."
Ehrenberg said the College needs to convey to the community that it takes sexual assault issues seriously. She said current standards do not reflect an appropriate level of seriousness.
Nelson said students concerned with COS decisions should consider running for election to the committee. He also recommended students read the COS reports, which give summaries of cases and findings.
Nelson also said students dismissed for sexual assault may not be guilty of rape.
"Some who haven't read the Student Handbook when they hear a student that was suspended for four terms may assume rape when the assault in question may not have been rape," he said.
According to this year's Student Handbook, "Sexual abuse includes, but is not limited to: conduct of a sexual nature which reasonably would be expected to have the effect of threatening or intimidating the person at whom such contact is directed; intentional physical contact with an intimate part of the body of another person without that person's consent; sexual intercourse when such contact is achieved without consent; through physical force, coercion, or threat, or in situations in which the victim is unable to give consent because of physical or mental incapacitation by reason of drug or alcohol consumption, sleep or unconsciousness."
Circulating the petition
The petition was initially circulated through "sororities since they are obviously the most concerned with women's issues," Gaphardt said.
Delta Delta Delta sorority President Jessica Duda '96 said her house discussed the petition at meetings on Wednesday night.
"Those members wishing to do so signed it," Duda said. "I will say that an overwhelming majority agreed that the College should take a stronger stance on sexual assault."
"However, we didn't come to any conclusions to take further actions as a house," she said. "This is a personal decision for our individual members."
Doolittle said organizers will circulate the petition among non-Greek students, in an attempt to reach a more diverse body of students.
