Alumnae petition for rape kits and sexual assault nurses at Engemann


The petition, which had 1,519 signatures at the time of publication, calls for increased resources at the Engemann Student Health Center, such as rape kits and a sexual assault nurse. (Daily Trojan file photo)

According to results from the 2015 Campus Climate Survey, 23% of undergraduate female students have experienced nonconsensual sexual touching during their time at USC. With this statistic in mind, Now What, an organization founded by five USC alumnae, is calling for the Engemann Student Health Center to provide students with rape kits and a sexual assault nurse.

“I tried to get maybe 100 signatures and posted it to two Facebook groups, and it got over 1,000 signatures in over a week and a half,” said Cara Straus, one of Now What’s co-founders.

Inspired by a similar petition at the University of North Texas, the alumnae originally started the petition for a class project, but hope it will bring change to USC.

USC Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services Director Brenda Ingram said the University is home to RSVP, which provides a range of resources for survivors including counseling, Title IX services and other psychosocial care. According to Chief Health Officer Sarah Van Orman, Engemann and the Department of Public Safety also offer free transportation to the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center, the closest place for survivors to get rape kits.

However, without offering rape kits on campus, some students like Seanna Latiff, a rising sophomore majoring in art, say that USC is failing to provide for survivors.

“I think [the petition] is very necessary, and it shows that USC is not offering a system of support to survivors and instead is proving to be negligent to the fact that there is rape occurring on campus,” Latiff said. “They have the ability to support the victims; instead, they’d rather have them sent to Santa Monica alone, which is not anything anybody actually wants to do.”

Van Orman and Ingram said the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center offers a level of care and expertise that cannot be replicated at Engemann.

“I really view rape treatment centers as highly, highly specialized, and we’re fortunate that the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center is actually probably the leading center in the nation,” Van Orman said. “I want [every] student who is in need of these services to have access to the best possible care team of people with the best expertise and that is not something we can build here.”

According to Straus, the problem is one of accessibility. She said having a full-time sexual assault nurse who can provide trauma care and administer rape kits should be a priority.

“The side we’re fighting for is [having more resources] on campus,” Straus said.

Located about 30 minutes from campus, the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center features a secluded floor that specializes in support and care for victims. It is also connected to an emergency room to treat injuries incurred by survivors — a resource Engemann lacks. Additionally, the center is one of the only in the nation that stores forensic evidence indefinitely.

“I think when students are asking for rape kits, they see the rape kit but don’t necessarily see all the other stuff — the processes, the practices, the procedures that go along with making a rape kit,” Ingram said.

According to Ingram, Los Angeles County law establishes specific and strict criteria for rape kits and the institutions that can administer them. She said the most difficult requirement for Engemann to meet is access to acute medical care because it is not part of a hospital.  

Latiff said she believes the investment in gaining the ability to administer rape kits on campus is worth it.

“I think we all wonder how USC prioritizes its money,” Latiff said. Latiff said she believes the university should put more money toward student health, particularly for female students.

Straus said she is particularly concerned with the extra time traveling to Santa Monica takes from the 72-hour window survivors have to get a rape kit and students’ desire to be treated on campus.

“A lot of students will be hesitant to go because of the distance or the travel,” Straus said.

While Ingram and Van Orman don’t believe Engemann will offer rape kits in the near future, they are hopeful about a new RSVP initiative.

“We will bring on advocates to accompany survivors to crisis centers,” Ingram said.

She also said the advocates would facilitate student’s aftercare and help guide them through the University’s resources.

Straus said Now What is planning on sending the petition to faculty, deans, Engemann officials and other USC administrators.

“We have a great connection with one of the best treatment centers in the country, but we are also one of the largest research institutions, so there should be [more resources] on campus,” Straus said.

Natalie Oganesyan contributed to this report.