A Statement of the Duke Student Government Regarding Sexual Assault and Other Acts of Violent Misconduct

As representative of the Duke Student body, we as members of the Duke Student Government want to express both our dismay and disgust at any and all acts of sexual misconduct and violence committed by members of the student body. As members of the Duke and Durham community, we all shoulder the responsibility for promoting mutual respect and honesty. The decision of any student to commit an act of sexual or other violence toward another human is deplorable, and should not be tolerated. Any student found guilty of committing or concealing such a crime should be submitted to the proper university sanctions and consequences in addition to all legal penalties. Although the alleged acts of racial and misogynistic intolerance may not constitute criminal acts, these too must be considered violations of the Duke Community Standard. Furthermore, any student found to be in breach of the Duke Community Standard by withholding pertinent information should be immediately sanctioned by the judicial board. However, until such proof of a crime or a breach of the Duke Community Standard can be established through fair and judicious means, it is important to afford all students the same respect that is demanded of them, and remember that in our system of law everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

As Sexual Assault Prevention Week continues, we encourage students to take advantage of the events. Last night's Take Back the Night Rally and Speakout were very successful. Look out for tables on the Main Quad for more events this week.

The office of Sexual Assault Support Services is available for any student seeking confidential crisis response, advocacy, referrals and counseling. The office is housed in the Duke Women's Center, open 8:30am -- 5pm M-F, and can be reached at 684-3897. The after hours info line is 681-6882. You can also visit their website for further information, http://wc.studentaffairs.duke.edu (click on the SASS section). Additionally, CAPS provides counseling and psychological services for Duke students. That office can be reached at 660-1000. For a local 24-hr crisis line you can call the DurhamCrisisResponseCenter at 402-6562.

There are many ways to get involved on campus. The Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention (SHARP) peer educators promote awareness and education of the issue around campus. For information on joining, see http://healtydevil.studentaffairs.duke.edu

Men Acting for Change (MAC) is a group directed at men's roles in creating a safe and healthy environment committed to ending gender-related violence. For more information, visit www.duke.edu/web/mac

There are also volunteer opportunities available with the office of Sexual Assault Support Services. Please contact their office for more details at 684-3897.

Respectfully Submitted,

Brandon J. Goodwin, Executive Vice President

Logan Leinster, VP of Community Interaction

Paige Sparkman, VP of Student Affairs

Jesse Longoria, President

Brenda Bautsch, VP of Athletics & Campus Services

Joe Fore, VP of Academic Affairs

Russ Ferguson, Chief of Staff

SENATORS

Craig Bohn Jeff Buchan Jamie Campbell Genevieve Cody Kendall Dabaghi Jeff Federspiel George Fleming Atin Garg Jordan Giordano Kathleen Greene Jason Gross Daron Gunn Mark Jelley Lee Kornfeld Wei Li Jeremy Marshall Maggie McGannon Duncan McKenna Matt McNeill Chauncey Nartey Emily Pontzer Elise Schmidt Josh Solera Ryan Strasser Jeff Vaughn