An Ashland University student recently wrote about an alleged sexual assault that happened to one of her friends on campus for the website Odyssey, shedding light on a topic that AU students had been trying to bring to light.

The piece was written by Hannah Wise and was published April 25. In the piece, Wise detailed the attack and the university’s response.

“Someone she considered a friend came into her room,” Wise wrote, “made advances at her, and despite the fact that she said no, he held her down by her throat and assaulted her.”

The description of the attack takes place in the first paragraph. What Wise particularly takes issue with in her piece is the university’s response after her friend reported the attack to the university.

“It is now April,” Wise writes. “Four months have gone by. He has not been removed from her classes. He is still a university athlete. He has had no consequences whatsoever for his actions, despite the fact that my friend did everything she could to report him.”

Wise writes that her friend was forced to have a face-to-face meeting with the alleged attacker, and after that initial confrontation, the victim was asked to write a three to five page paper on consent.

Ashland University issued a lengthy statement on the issue, referring to Wise’s piece as a “blog post.”

“This student’s online posting should not be viewed as an official communication from the University, the students involved, or any other designated party,” the statement said. “As such, though we do not want to speak for the author, it seems clear that the post was not intended to represent a transcript or official summary of another student’s report of sexual misconduct or the University’s response.”

The university statement said there were several inaccuracies in the piece, and statements and descriptions that are inconsistent with information gathered as part of the official investigation. In its statement, the university said it wouldn’t comment on the specifics of cases like the one presented in Wise’s story.

“Please be assured that Ashland University has an established process in place to address reports of student misconduct including sexual misconduct and takes seriously its obligations to appropriately respond to every reported incident,” the statement said. “We always put the needs of the students above all else, and would never cover up or distort any facts to protect the University’s reputation. Our reputation is founded on our commitment to all students, and we have not and do not tolerate misconduct or victimization of any kind. The official reports and investigations are private, yet reveal our commitment to thoroughness and fairness.

Sexual assault and how it is handled has been on the forefront at AU lately. AU students had already created a sexual assault support and awareness group on campus called “The AU Support Project.” Junior Emily Wirtz is a creative writing, psychology, and religion triple major who has helped organize this group.

“This [developed] out of the ‘I Am’ project that we did with Traci Molloy,” said Wirtz. “What happened was we got the 20 girls together and knew that we had to do our art project [based] on something that pertains to us specifically. All of us either know someone or have been victims of harassment or assault [ourselves].”

Junior Maria Cardona is Creative Writing major. Cardona explained how the commotion caused by Wise’s article impacts the university as a whole.

“I think part of the reason that Hannah’s article created so much ruckus, was because we all sort of live in this safety bubble where we like to pretend that we are safe from everything in Ashland and nothing bad ever happens here,” said Cardona. “We put so much trust into this university, so I think seeing that something [unfortunate] could happen, and that they did not live up to [their promises], was harsh.”

Cardona also addressed the doubts that some individuals may have regarding the validity of the article.

“Statistically, false rape accusations are incredibly low,” Cardona said. “Rape is one of the hardest things to prove, so the system is so backed up with rape kits all over the country, so it could take years [to verify]. There is also statue of limitations, which makes it impossible for the victim to really stand up for themselves.” 

The women held a public forum discussing sexual assault and prevention on April 19. Their first official meeting will take place on April 28. As far as activities planned for The AU Support Project, Cardona and Wirtz plan on showing a documentary called “The Hunting Ground,” as well as holding regular discussions during the meetings. Additionally, they plan on conducting a 24-hour hotline for those in need of support, creating posters, and using sidewalk-chalk to announce upcoming events.

Wirtz noted that in order for goals to become not just a fantasy, but into a reality, change needs to occur within the university itself.

“The problem is, is that people need to be more involved with these things,” said Wirtz. “Ultimately, a victim cannot go to health, safety, or counseling services [without] getting turned away because they have more important things to deal with. There is a disconnect between the needs of the students and the university.”

Both Cardona and Wirtz are going to present in front of the Title IX Committee alongside Hannah Clayborne and Wise to discuss a plan of action regarding sexual assault, prevention, and the mishandling of these types of situations. Wirtz acknowledged that no matter what happens during the meeting with the Title IX Committee, giving up is not an option.

“The good thing about this [assault] going public, is that they have to say something now. They cannot just ignore us,” said Wirtz. “If we do not get through to the Title IX Committee, then we have to [find a way] to make that happen. We cannot just sit here and be complacent about it.”

Currently, more than 60 members have joined The AU Support Project so far, and it is expected to continuing growing throughout the year. All students are encouraged to attend. If one has any questions or comments, feel free to contact either Wirtz or Cardona for more information.