Student Punished By University For Speaking About Her Rape
Imagine if your daughter were raped at college — and then the university moved her rapist into a dorm building in “closer proximity” to hers.
That’s what happened to Landen Gambill, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Gambill publicly came forward about her rape, and now the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating charges that UNC Chapel Hill targeted and retaliated against the student for coming forward. The university now faces a third federal investigations into its sexual assault policies thanks to the incident.
At the beginning of the year, Gambill filed a federal complaint against the university for creating a “hostile environment” for rape victims who report sexual crimes.
Gambill was punished by the school for “intimidating” her alleged rapist by coming forward and publicly sharing her story. This is absurd, since Gambill never named her rapist — she only called him her “ex-boyfriend.” Then, later in the school year, the boy was moved into a dorm building “in close proximity” to Gambill’s even after he had been found guilty of sexually harassing her.
Those two actions by the school may be deemed in federal court as inappropriate retaliation. Thankfully, the honor code charge against Gambill has been dropped. That charge, had it not been dropped, could have led to the student being expelled.
Students at several UNC campuses have been filing formal complaints against their administration at an alarming rate. The US Department of Education has reminded the universities that they are not allowed to punish students for doing so. In an official statement, the Department said, “Individuals should be commended when they raise concerns about compliance with the federal civil rights laws, not punished for doing so.”
UNC Chapel Hill continues to deny retaliating against Gambill. Officials at the university, however, say they will cooperate with this third investigation.
The UNC student body supports Gambill and the other rape victims, and feels their university is mistreating rape victims. Since Gambill spoke out, activist students have created a network of advocates working to fight rape culture on college campuses.
Do you think UNC Chapel Hill deliberately punished Gambill for speaking out about her rape? Or is this all a big misunderstanding? Let us know your thoughts below.
Source
Imagine if your daughter were raped at college — and then the university moved her rapist into a dorm building in “closer proximity” to hers.
That’s what happened to Landen Gambill, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Gambill publicly came forward about her rape, and now the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating charges that UNC Chapel Hill targeted and retaliated against the student for coming forward. The university now faces a third federal investigations into its sexual assault policies thanks to the incident.
At the beginning of the year, Gambill filed a federal complaint against the university for creating a “hostile environment” for rape victims who report sexual crimes.
Gambill was punished by the school for “intimidating” her alleged rapist by coming forward and publicly sharing her story. This is absurd, since Gambill never named her rapist — she only called him her “ex-boyfriend.” Then, later in the school year, the boy was moved into a dorm building “in close proximity” to Gambill’s even after he had been found guilty of sexually harassing her.
Those two actions by the school may be deemed in federal court as inappropriate retaliation. Thankfully, the honor code charge against Gambill has been dropped. That charge, had it not been dropped, could have led to the student being expelled.
Students at several UNC campuses have been filing formal complaints against their administration at an alarming rate. The US Department of Education has reminded the universities that they are not allowed to punish students for doing so. In an official statement, the Department said, “Individuals should be commended when they raise concerns about compliance with the federal civil rights laws, not punished for doing so.”
The UNC student body supports Gambill and the other rape victims, and feels their university is mistreating rape victims. Since Gambill spoke out, activist students have created a network of advocates working to fight rape culture on college campuses.
Do you think UNC Chapel Hill deliberately punished Gambill for speaking out about her rape? Or is this all a big misunderstanding? Let us know your thoughts below.
Source