Protesters call for stronger UNH response to rape allegations

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NHPR / Report for America

Posted: 10/26/2021 4:50:49 PM

More than 100 students gathered outside the home of University of New Hampshire President James Dean on Monday evening to protest what they call the school’s insufficient response to recent allegations of sexual assault on the campus.

Dean himself showed up at the protest in an attempt to address student concerns, though many protesters said they were not convinced by his message. Some specifically pointed to a recent email Dean sent to the student body, which they said seemed to downplay the seriousness of the recent rape allegations.

Daisy Young, a UNH student who addressed the crowd of protesters on Monday, said Dean’s post illustrated the limits of the school’s current approach to dealing with sexual abuse.

“The resources that they continue to present and provide to us are not working,” Young said. “They refuse to recognize that instead of reacting to these violent incidents, we must prevent them.”

Kat Geschimsky, a freshman at UNH, said she was disappointed students didn’t feel safe on campus.

“It’s terrifying not to feel like you can walk the streets comfortably, confidently and safely,” she said. “I always have something on me, and even when I do, I’m still scared.”

Dean said he thought the turnout was impressive, but thinks students don’t see the whole picture.

“I don’t think the students necessarily know everything we do and tonight we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it,” he said. “But clearly they would like us to do more and we will try to work with them to see what we can do.”

Multiple charges of rape and sexual assault are currently circulating at the University of New Hampshire. In his Monday email, Dean advised students to refrain from posting any false accusations on social media. He also wrote that the university would not be discussing the issue publicly due to the need to protect individual privacy, but that steps are being taken to prevent crime on campus and support victims.

More than 5,000 students have signed a petition to expel a student accused of several cases of sexual assault.

The Durham Police Chief said the department was not involved in the investigations at this time, which are being carried out by UNH police.

Students and administrators schedule a time to meet and discuss potential changes in the way sexual assault reports are handled.

These articles are shared by The Granite State News Collaborative partners. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.

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