Today’s Briefing:
Content warning: The following opinion piece contains descriptions of sexual assault.
For Sadie, a current Princeton undergraduate student writing under a pseudonym, “filing a report had been my desperate attempt at feeling safe on my own campus.”
But the University never investigated her claim — because her alleged perpetrator had recently graduated.
“Based on my initial assessment, I have determined that the alleged conduct, if substantiated by a preponderance of the evidence, would constitute Sexual Assault under the University Sexual Misconduct policy. However, pursuant to section IV of the University Sexual Misconduct policy, given that the Respondent is no longer enrolled at the University, your formal complaint is being dismissed,” read the University’s response to Sadie’s complaint.
Sadie argues that the University skirts its responsibility to survivors when it exempts graduating students, existing faculty, and alumni — individuals occupying positions of power — from accountability.
"The Sexual Misconduct policies, separate from Title IX, are completely constructed by the University. Princeton has every power to amend them to allow for the investigation of recently graduated students. They’re simply choosing not to,” Sadie writes.
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