The Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.
Content warning: This story mentions instances of rape and sexual assault. Please see the bottom for sexual violence resources.
Federal law requires the American University Office of Equity and Title IX to prohibit gender-based harassment, sex-based discrimination and sexual violence on AU’s campus. However, despite federal requirements and decade- long protests for safety and protections, the AU Office of Equity and Title IX continues to handle sexual violence with apathy and mistreatment of survivors.
The AU Office of Equity and Title IX presents itself as a progressive resource that aligns with federal Title IX requirements. Contrastingly, AU students attempting to work with the office have experienced insensitive and minimal communication from the Title IX office, as well as inconsistent survivor protections. While the office claims its commitment to equitable processes, statements from survivors reveal the disrespectful and disingenuous nature of the office. The impact of an apathetic and underfunctioning Title IX office is an environment in which sexual assault survivors must advocate for themselves, alongside experiencing the trauma of the sexual violence.
The recent investigation by The Eagle into the Equity and Title IX office is not the only instance of student dissatisfaction with American University’s Title IX resources. In 2014, 70 documents detailing rape, drug use and sexual violence were leaked from Epsilon Iota, an unrecognized fraternity at AU. For years, students protested and demanded action from the University. In November 2022, March 2023 and November 2023, survivor walkouts and demonstrations began again after a student was sexually assaulted in Leonard Hall. The survivor demands from these demonstrations remain unmet, despite the American University Student Government unanimously passing a Survivor Bill of Rights. AU’s history displays a pattern of protest unheard by administration, making the University’s minimal ethical commitments for survivors clear.
While AU sweeps survivor cases under the rug, the disconnect between University offices only becomes more apparent, and AU’s high transfer rate only grows more understandable. In conversations with students who looked to the AU Office of Equity and Title IX, they recalled experiences of supportive measures being denied for no discernible reason, the office’s refusal to provide resources due to misapplied guidelines and the office’s use of loopholes to avoid investigations. In all three experiences, students reported receiving conflicting information from the Office of Equity Title IX. Instead of affirming and well-informed care, American University presents survivors with a chase across departments to unravel their rights, making the University’s high transfer rate self-explanatory.
AU’s Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy also leaves much to be desired. According to the policy, professors at AU are not prohibited from engaging in a relationship with students, so long as they are not directly teaching said student. Professors face no professional consequences for such actions. For example, Professor Luis Alvarado, who sent sexually suggestive messages to a student for months, was promoted afterwards. Comparatively, any unwanted sexual activity from students, staff or faculty is prohibited at Georgetown and George Washington University. When faced with sexual violence and anguish, students at American University should be able to expect the same degree of care exhibited by neighboring universities, instead of AU’s policies enabling predatory and power-imbalanced advances.
While American University’s Office of Equity and Title IX maintains concerning policy guidelines and leaves students with questions, AU’s administration has sent out plenty of communications about the remodeling of Mary Graydon Center and the construction of the Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance. Instead of outlining the rights of survivors or penalizing professors for unwanted sexual advances toward students, AU concentrates its efforts on new buildings. The University fails to consider, however, that the construction of new buildings does not solve AU’s mishandling of sexual violence, nor does it distract students from the disrespect AU’s “resources” have shown them.
Student demands for adequate sexual violence resources are nothing short of fair and necessary. Students, staff and faculty deserve to feel safe on campus instead of being deprived of protections. American University can begin to address student concerns with increased sensitivity to Title IX matters and responsive, trauma-informed faculty. The University can also address on-campus sexual violence by adopting the student-supported Survivor Bill of Rights and revising the Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy to include guidelines for potential resources.
While previous apathy and mistreatment of survivors will not be forgotten, the University can still take action to support survivors. The campus community, however, cannot and will not wait another decade for the same lack of response to sexual violence. Moreover, survivors cannot expect to be denied resources they need. Students, staff and faculty must support each other in demands for safety and protection while making the responsibilities of the University clear.
Students who have experienced sexual violence can reach out to Victim Advocacy Services, the Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services or these hotlines for guidance and support:
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- D.C. Rape Crisis Center: 202-333-7273
Additional resources:
- It’s on Us
- Know Your IX
- End Rape on Campus
This piece was written by Rebeca Samano Arellano and edited by Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Charlie Mennuti, Ella Rousseau and Nicole Kariuki.
