As a public university under federal investigation for allegedly mishandling sexual assault cases, one would hope MSU would do everything in its power to avoid harming survivors more than it already has.
But the Department of Student Affairs and Services took it one step further this past commencement by allowing an exception to trespass for a former students who was dismissed after being found in violation of sexual harassment policy last year.
The student was tried under university misconduct hearing regulations and found guilty. He was deemed a danger to the student body, and to his victim.
And MSU let him walk through the doors of Breslin Center to attend commencement.
In a letter to the editor written by the survivor, who asked only to be identified by her first name of Ashley, she detailed how she was just starting to recover from PTSD and move on with her life. And in one email, MSU took back what little justice they had offered her by allowing her assailant back on campus.
Ashley was notified of her assailant’s return to campus six days beforehand, according to email correspondence between Ashley and MSU’s Department of Student Affairs and the MSU General Counsel obtained by The State News.
She was planning to go to commencement in order to watch her friends graduate. Because of the exception to trespass, she decided to stay home.
In an email to The State News, MSU spokesperson Jason Cody wrote, “Careful consideration is given to weighing the request against our ability to protect the campus community. On the limited occasions when permission is granted, there are very clear constraints communicated to the requestor; if any of those constraints are violated, the requestor is subject to arrest.”
From George Will’s commencement speech in December to this fiasco, MSU seriously needs to reevaluate their treatment of sexual assault survivors who suffered on their campus.
Many student groups on campus dedicate their time to aiding survivors in reporting their assaults and preventing such crimes from occurring, but their work is all undone by an administration which creates an unsafe environment for survivors.
At The State News, we believe every student has the right to a safe, harassment-free university environment. This decision blatantly went against creating a safe space for students.
After the outrage and large protests which resulted from MSU’s paying controversial columnist George Will to speak during December’s commencement, MSU should have noted how rape apologists can affect the well-being of survivors and their supporters.
Inviting a students the administration itself found guilty of sexual harassment is nothing short of a slap in the face to survivors. Because ultimately, this decision shows that even if students are able to prove they were assaulted, and their assailant gets expelled, they are welcome back to the university. All they have to do is ask.
When discussing sexual assaults on campus, the phrase “It’s on you MSU” is thrown around as a play on the national “It’s on Us” to stop sexual assault campaign.
Well, it’s still on you MSU. And it’s time you started acting like it.
