Dear Editor,

Just recently, The Guilfordian published an article concerning how the Guilford College administration handles sexual assault. I know firsthand how truly unjust the justice system on this campus is.

As a current sophomore and victim of sexual assault, their policies failed me. For a school promoting the core value of justice, their policy doesn’t match up. I have spoken with every person from the bottom to the top, President Chabotar included, yet my attacker still walks this campus, still plays football and enjoys full privileges on this campus.

In Guilford’s defense, they did follow the process as outlined by the handbook. But what they didn’t do was sanction him properly. For a man found guilty of rape, you would assume he would be facing suspension, loss of privileges — football included — or even expulsion. However, they only sanctioned him to a counseling session and a movie.

So my point is clear: this is not justice. This is nowhere close to justice.

In all my meetings with the school’s administration, they like to make it very clear: they followed procedure, and he was sanctioned. However, though his offense was a Level Three offense on this campus, the sanctions he faced were only for a Level One offense. And though the administration could sanction him further, more appropriately even, they choose to sit back and condone rape.

The college labeled this year as “The Year of Consent,” using every resource to stress this to my fellow classmates. But if this is true, why not enforce it?

Their response: my rape was a “technicality,” and they used this case to establish new guidelines. It occurred last spring, and though the case was carried over to this fall, they apparently “can’t” do anything further.

I know they most certainly can, by punishing my attacker with more appropriate sanctions.

As much as I have tried to seek justice, little action has been done. And personally, I’m running out of energy to fight a battle that is moving nowhere. So I pose a public question: is this school running their consent campaign because they are truly against sexual assault or to save themselves from cases like my own?

This entire process has nearly crushed me at times, and I have no doubt this does not meet the core value of justice. Justice has not prevailed in my case, and I worry every day how many other women have been robbed of justice on this campus. Therefore, in the effort to meet justice, I ask this community for support and help. I ask each of you to help make Guilford accountable to the wrong they have done, not just to me, but to all of the victims of sexual assault.

We will only find justice if we hold this administration accountable.

Sincerely,

Morgan Rudd