Where is Tufts’ priorities???
Since the formation of SAFER at Tufts, there has fortunately been changes to the sexual misconduct policies. I believe that it is very important to actively look through the former policy, what was done wrong, and what could be changed for the better next. To do this properly, the process can take time. Unfortunately, a lot of time has passed (the end of Spring 09, the summer, fall 09) and yet there has been very little concrete progress.
The new sexual assault “policy”
Going to the Tufts OEO site shows a list of Tufts policies, which includes a link to the sexual assault policy. For some reason, the link leads to the OLD .pdf (as of 01/26/10) as opposed to the new policy. Sadly the new “policy” is not much of an improvement. It is only more than one page because the school only ‘copy-paste’d Massachusetts law regarding sexual violence. The contact options provided include the emergency number of the police department-which way not be appropriate for all instances where a survivor wants to report a sexual assault (i.e. when the assault has not happened recently)-the Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator’s, and Counseling Center’s info.
Two parts of it especially pissed me off.
ONE: The first sentence says “Sexual assault is an egregious form of sexual harassment and it is a crime. The University takes all incidents seriously. ” Oh. My “incident” (I hate that Tufts has repeatedly diminished my rapes by saying I described an ‘incident’) wasn’t real to them, I guess, because my report was NOT taken seriously at all. The thought of how I was treated and what was said to me still makes me cry. I wish those who put me down thought I deserved some dignity, but I know better than to wait around for them to change their minds.
TWO: The title of the policy Sexual Assault has a little asterisk next to it. Why? Because “Tufts Policy on Sexual Assault is currently under revision.” For some reason that is supposed to be comforting. Well, please don’t be fooled. There has been no transparent work towards improving the policy.
SAFER was told to write down what they think should be changed to the policy. Students spent their own HOURS of free time to go through the judicial process in detail and to add definitions and other guidelines so they could submit it to administrators. They handed it in last semester, yet there has been no follow up meeting. Tufts claimed that they cared, but they can’t even make time to create a very important policy?
Students should not have to chase administrators to follow up on their own suggestions. It isn’t even the responsibility of the students to do the research and write up a policy. The university is paying people to do this – yet students are doing it for free on top of their very busy schedules.
This is frankly yet another slap in the face. I wish there was more initiative to improving the policies transparently. The community has a right to know what is going on. Merely stating “Tufts will not tolerate sexual misconduct in the community”* on the student affairs site does not change how HORRIBLE and WRONG it is to knowingly have a severely lacking policy to prevent sexual violence and actually support and protect them in action – not just in words.
This is obviously a matter in which I have a lot of persona investment. Clearly rectifying the harm done to me is near impossible–My rapist graduated with ease while I still struggle with personal shame and recurring nightmares. However, it would mean so much to me to know that there were significant steps done to prevent this from repeating. No one deserves to go what I go through. No one deserves to feel my pain.
Tufts’ reaction to reports of sexual violence is integral to the recovery of a victim. This is very important. If the school truly cares about the well being of ALL students then the people who can change the policies REALLY need to step it up.
*So either my rapes were not “sexual misconduct” or refusing to investigate and/or hold my perpetrator accountable isn’t “tolerating” sexual misconduct. Is this another hint that Tufts didn’t do anything because they think I lied??? Somehow I wasn’t worthy enough to be treated as well as my perpetrator.
