Rolling Stone piece on UVA rape case reveals larger issue


University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan spoke to students on Monday to address the recent controversy surrounding the school after a Rolling Stone article detailing allegations of sexual assault at the university’s fraternities — and complicity on the part of the school administration — was published on Nov. 19. “We have a problem, and we are going to get after it,” Sullivan told students.

Yes, UVA, the gang rape of a freshman student by seven fraternity brothers — including with a beer bottle — that resulted in none of the perpetrators being punished is definitely a “problem.”

But there’s another larger “problem” here — that this didn’t become an issue until an article detailing a horrific incident went viral.

Why wasn’t this a “problem” when the Department of Education released a list of 55 colleges and universities with open Title IX sexual violence investigations — a list USC was also on — on May 1, or when dozens of students approached the head of UVA’s Sexual Misconduct Board, Dean Nicole Eramo, about being raped?

Colleges and universities’ lack of response to the nationwide issue of sexual assault has been stunning. The Department of Education is currently investigating an astonishing 90 institutions of higher education, and rape and other forms of sexual violence are undoubtedly an issue at more schools than just these. In fact, the author of the Rolling Stone article, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, chose not to focus on UVA as a specific incident, but rather as a case study of rape culture at schools all over America.

“I was looking to focus on a school that was elite, a respected school, but also one where the culture felt representative of what’s going on on campuses across the country,” Erdely told NBC29. “UVA though seemed like a place where everybody could kind of relate to it in some way.”

But no one cares about drawn-out investigations or abstract accusations of vague crimes. People care about people. No one is going to demand change until there’s a specific, unbelievably gruesome tale to rally behind.

That’s why campus groups advocating for change and awareness are often composed of victims or friends and family. In the Rolling Stone article, a female student identified as “Jackie” was introduced to the group One Less, described as “a student-run sexual-assault education organization that doubles as a support group.” The only way One Less could also function as a support group is if the members had all undergone traumatic experiences.

“Jackie” provided the needed story for UVA. But at other colleges and universities across the nation, there has been no widely read story of a respectable publication, allowing school administrations to continue in their complicity with cultures of sexual assault on campus.

Some doubt the credibility of the story, however. Robby Soave, a writer for libertarian magazine Reason, labeled Erdely’s story as simply “not credible,”  as “journalists who contemplate such matters” now believe. He cited editor-in-chief of Worth magazine Richard Bradley, who wrote on his blog, “I don’t believe that it happened — certainly not in the way that it is recounted.” Both Soave and Bradley completely disregard the fact that this past weekend, Erdely gave the Washington Post an extensive interview detailing the weeks she spent fact-checking the story. Regardless of what skeptics have to say, their doubts shouldn’t detract from the indisputable fact that sexual assault is a pressing issue at UVA and other campuses nationwide.

Since the article was published, UVA has taken several actions. Fraternities were banned for the rest of the semester, the governing board passed a resolution expressing its commitment to a zero tolerance policy on sexual assault and the article’s allegations are being addressed. UVA’s administration has been forced to act because of the glaring spotlight the story has placed on them. But that spotlight is only on them. Erdely’s attempt to bring light to the national issue of sexual assault has failed.

At the end of the day, it’s not the responsibility of students and the general public to make sure these issues are addressed. Momentary outrage over one story is bound to fall off the radar as soon as the next big thing comes around. But it is the responsibility of the university to protect its students and to ensure a culture of security for all — no matter their gender or level of intoxication.

Campuses must step up to address the issue before the next “Jackie” comes along and their efforts are found, again, to be too little, too late.

Isabella Sayyah is a junior majoring in print and digital journalism and international relations. She is also managing editor of the Daily Trojan.

3 replies
  1. Bob
    Bob says:

    Rolling Stone retracted the story due to “misplaced trust” in the alleged rape victim. I look forward to reading your follow up about false accusations fueling irrational rape hysteria on college campuses.

  2. Don Harmon
    Don Harmon says:

    Colleges need to embark on intensive programs discouraging the primitive, mindless, wild college culture that glorifies rapes and binge-drinking. Yes, college students are free of mom and dad and will let loose. But the colleges need to do more to curb the vile wild behaviors that brutalize women, ruin students’ lives and kill some of them from auto crashes or alcohol poisoning.

    • Jon
      Jon says:

      Colleges can only do so much to stop the terrible behavior shown by college students. At some point we need to look at our culture as a whole and it’s up to each individual to make good choices. Why do so many students find it acceptable to engage in these behaviors and why are none of their peers putting a stop to it?

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