Welcome

Mr Jefferson's University is all about Honor. However, ask yourself these questions:
Is it Honorable for a University to support Zero Tolerance for Cheating but not for Rape?
Is it Honorable for a University President to refuse to comply with the Clery Act and Title IX Law?
Is it Honorable for campus police to ignore evidence and treat a felony crime as an administrative matter?
Is it Honorable for campus police to refuse to collaborate when a felony crime is reported to the local police?
Is it Honorable for the University President and his staff to lie to the Media?
Is it Honorable to do nothing when you're told by a young woman that she's been sexually assaulted ?
Who knows how many young lives have been altered because the University Administration turns a Blind Eye to rape?



Former President Casteen knew.	Dean Penny Rue knew.	Dean Shamin Sisson knew.	Vice Pres Pat Lampkin knew.	Sexual Assault Coordinator Clare Kaplan knew.


	Prosecutor Rick Moore knew.		UVA Police Lt Gibson knew.		Albemarle Cty Prosecutors Lunsford & Camblos knew.



They reported it.	They reported it.	They reported it.


They protested it.	They came together for it.	They lived through it.

	xxx xxx
All because Curtis Ofori (and others like him) raped young women at UVA.

This website began in mid-March 2004 when a mother and her young daughter realized that the University Police and staff were more interested in protecting the school's image than in protecting and assisting young victims of crime. Our first course of action was to hand out 300 flyers to alert the students that the University was turning a blind eye to our problem and asking people to email their own personal stories with the hopes we would learn from them and perhaps bring change to the way sexual assaults were handled by the University. Within days, over 100 women had emailed the one page website to let us know that they had been ignored by the administration when they reported that they had been assaulted. Clearly there was a need for a voice for all victims of sexual assault at the University of Virginia.

"EVEN IF YOU LOSE, YOU'VE SHOWN STRENGTH TO FACE YOUR ATTACKER
AND NAME HIM FOR WHAT HE IS ... A RAPIST." ~ Olivia Benson

Although Campus Police, Administrators and Students know and discuss the issues, Nothing Happens. Nothing Changes. The number of reported rapes continues to increase each academic year. Brave Survivors are told to "forget it happened". Predators continue to roam the campus with the full assurance of the UVA Administration that Nothing will happen to them if they commit a rape crime. The community of Trust continues to turn a Blind Eye to campus rape crimes.

UVA supports a Zero Tolerance policy for Cheating, but not for Rape. WHY?

UVA Campus Police have jurisdiction if the crime occurs on campus. WHY?

At a campus meeting held on 25 March 2004, the University publicly acknowledged (and was quoted in the Cavalier Daily) that no one found guilty of sexual assault during the previous five years had been suspended or expelled from the University. In contrast, 38 students were expelled for "honor" offenses such as cheating or stealing in 2003. Continued FOIA requests confirm a similar pattern for subsequent years:

During the past ten years (2001-2011), no one found guilty of sexual assault has been suspended or expelled from UVA despite the student and media attention focused on this issue.

It is apparent that the Administration would rather sacrifice the emotional well being of the female victim rather than expel the serial rapist male student. It is an unacceptable fact to learn that as the crime statistics for the number of reported rape and sexual assault cases continues to increase, not one person has been expelled from the University for committing acts of sexual assault, even when found guilty by a Sexual Assault Board.

The Virginia Crime Commission is studying campus sexual assault and jurisdictional issues and will release their findings on Virginia House Bill 2490, also known as Kathryn's Law, to the public on Dec 6, 2011. If you are interested in assisting this project, please contact us at uvavictimsofrape@gmail.com.

Read the Richmond Times-Dispatch Series, Nov 2011:
VA College Sexual Assaults Rarely End in Arrest, Prosecution
Officials Examine Approach on Major Campus Crimes
Higher Ed Review Seeks Law Review in Wake of Penn State

Read the Roanoke Times Editorial, Nov 23, 2011, endorsing Kathryn's Law:
Report Major Campus Crimes

The Dept of Education has ruled that UVA Sexual Assault Policies violate the Clery Act.
Very few schools are found guilty by the DOE! Congratulations to SOC and uvavictimsofrape for your fortitude in seeing this through!

The 2008 ruling in our Clery Act complaint UVA case is very important because it was precedent setting.

The Education Department held, for the first time, that the Clery Act required institutions to permit sexual assault complainants to share the outcomes of disciplinary actions taken in their cases even if they weren't requiring them to formally agree to that in writing - as had been the case in the Georgetown ruling. This is very important because most schools followed the UVA model of simply threatening retaliation against the woman if she divulged the outcome of the case. This holding served as the principal basis for a change in the FERPA regulations (issued shortly after the ruling itself was handed down) that formalized this holding across the board.

The Security on Campus website maintains the DOE findings since 1997. In 2008 when the UVA findings were released there were only two DOE findings released that year. The case documents are at: http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/datacenter/cleryact.html#uva

Rape is classified as a Felony crime in Virginia. Rape is not about being ambiguous when providing consent for sex. Rape should not be confused with sex. Rape is an act of empowerment. Rape is a crime and the University must react to it as it would to any other crime. Unfortunately, since the University Police report to the University President, they can "sweep this crime under the rug" and silence the victim by threatening Honor Infractions if they divulge the outcome of the campus police investigation.

Why do parents, students, and financial donors allow the University to resolve rape crimes as administrative matters using mediation or secretive Sexual Assault Boards? Rape is a felony crime in Virginia. Using an administrative solution to resolve felony crimes is unacceptable! All other campus crimes are handled by the appropriate law enforcement officials in compliance with the laws of Virginia. Steal a computer and you will be arrested and prosecuted; steal a woman's emotional well being and no one in the Administration or campus police department will react.

It is clearly evident to all Survivors that the University is more interested in protecting its image and raising money than it is in protecting its female students.

In 2010, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) published an investigative series called "A Frustrating Search for Justice". Journalist Kristen Lombardi and her staff reviewed more than 33 cases over a 12 month period and revealed facts that shocked the nation. My daughter's case is highlighted in the series entitled, "Sexual Assault on Campus Shrouded in Secrecy".

The impact of this investigation (assisted by NPR's coverage) landed CPI the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award for Justice & Human Rights reporting. Ethel Kennedy revealed to award recipients that the issue was near and dear to her heart since a close friend in college was sexually assault. In addition to this award the series has received the following:

1. The 70th Annual Peabody Award - for their collaboration with NPR
2. The Dart Award for Exceptional Reporting on Trauma
3. The Philip Meyer Award for Exceptional Journalism using Social Science Research Tools (2nd place)
4. The Multimedia Award from the Association of Health Care Journalists (3rd place)
5. The Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service, from the Society of Professional Journalists

The most important result of all this was that the U.S. Department of Education paid attention and released a new Title IX Guidance that will be the standard used for complaints against universities. In addition to this landmark the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act promises to update the Jeanne Clery Act so that sexual and intimate partner violence proceedings are fair and equitable for both parties.

~ Listen to Kristen Lombardi's WNYC radio interview HERE ~

Many media outlets have publicized the way UVA turns its Back on Rape. The most recent coverage can be found in the September 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine: CLICK HERE

The supporters of UVAVICTIMSOFRAPE are angered and saddened by the deaths of Morgan Harrington and Yeardley Love. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends.

CBS news reports that during the candlelight vigil held for Ms Love on May 5th, 2010 Former President Casteen made the following statement to the crowd of 2,000 students: "My hope for Yeardley and for you is that her dying inspires an anger, a sense of outrage that no woman need ever fear for their safety."

To Casteen: hundreds of women have been raped on your campus yet not one predator has been sanctioned or expelled during your period of leadership. I've read that seven students have died on your campus during the past academic year. It is clear to every victim that you are the President of a campus that cultivates a culture of violence by silencing victims and turning a blind eye to crime. I am outraged that you are lying to the public to save your legacy. You should be ashamed, very ashamed. You are retiring and will be gone from UVA soon, but the culture of violence against women that grew under your watch will not end with your departure from Charlottesville..

To the public, do not be snookered by Casteen's words shared during the emotional and moving vigil for Ms Love. He said these words back on 2005 (picture left). He said them whenever there was media attention to a crisis. But he never once provided the required leadership and turned these words to action. He always refused to meet with rape victims & their families, and refused to bring the University into compliance with Title IX and Clery Act laws.

UVA women do need to fear for their safety. If you have a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a friend attending to UVA - DISCUSS this issue with them! The University will not protect or care for them if they are assaulted.

This site is dedicated to all UVA Survivors of Sexual Assault.

Your efforts to bring about justice will eventually bring change to the University,
even when you believe your current efforts have been in vain.

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This website was created by a UVA Parent to inform Parents, Students, and Alumni about the University of Virginia's ineffective response to the crime of rape and sexual assault.
The University resolves Rape and Sexual Assault crimes as ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS, not as FELONY CRIMES. In 2006, UVA was cited by the Dept of Education to be in violation of the Clery Act; a Title IX investigation is currently pending.

Support "ZERO TOLERANCE FOR RAPE!"

Any UVA sexual assault victims, regardless of year of graduation, who have questions or believe their cases were addressed in a manner that conflicts with the Clery Act and are willing to speak with DOE Investigators about the disciplinary hearing process should contact the webmaster.
(Complete Anonymity is Guaranteed)

Contact us immediately because IF YOU STAY SILENT, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
Send your e-mail to uvavictimsofrape@gmail.com. It's the right thing to do.

Contact uvavictimsofrape@gmail.com
Created to support all UVA Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault.
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Site Information last updated on 3 Dec 2011.