UMD students rally for effective policies against sexual assault within Greek life

Protesters march along McKeldin Mall, lead by Josie Urrea (Aaron Wright/The Black Explosion)

University of Maryland student protesters marched from Mckeldin Library to Fraternity Row on Friday, to promote action against sexual assault on campus.

The Student Government Association at UMD organized the “Reclaim the Red: Rally for Respect.” The march was designed to create widespread awareness of sexual assault on campus and the need for effective action from university administration, the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Interfraternity Council.

“We want to hold both DFSL and Greek life accountable for their roles in sexual assault prevention. We want more training, we want more mandatory reporting to Title 9. We also want DFSL to stop using ‘severely understaffed’ as an excuse to not hold Greek life accountable,” said Josie Urrea, director of the sexual misconduct prevention committee for SGA and one of the lead organizers for the Rally.

Recently, allegations from the student group Preventing Sexual Assault were raised against the Pi Alpha Kappa fraternity last month. Both the allegations and the march suggest that not enough action has been taken against sexual misconduct when it comes to Greek life. 

“I feel like the [university] administration could be a bit more direct and proactive about what’s going on. I feel like they’ve just kind of (come) to the consensus that sexual assault and sexual violence is inevitable and it’s upreventable,” said Ifeoma Eleazu, a senior government politics and public policy major and director of diversity and inclusion for the SGA.

Indifference from the university’s administration wasn’t the only source of ire for the protesters, as many also have critiques for the way DFSL conducts investigations within fraternities. Brett Stone, a senior finance major and member of the IFC, gave more insight into the policies from DFSL that aren’t working.

“If a fraternity holds an internal investigation for something like sexual assault … and they find them not guilty or guilty, it’s like case closed. What it should be is that if a member of that fraternity is accused of sexual assault, they should immediately suspend the brother out of the fraternity and then they go up to [the Office of Student Conduct] in DFSL … because it’s way above someone who’s 20 years old,” said Stone.

The Rally for Respect started at McKeldin Library where they made posters. There were nearly 90 protesters by the time they marched to UMD’s Fraternity Row.

“Hey hey, no no. Rape culture has got to go,” said the protesters clad in red. “We will not be silenced.”

When the protesters lead by Urrea arrived at Fraternity Row, they gathered in a semi-circle, where student speakers shared their stories of survival and frustration for the lack of action taken against sexual assault.

Urrea was the first of many student speakers at Fraternity Row. She talked about her frustrations with DFSL and UMD’s lack of action when it comes to sexual assault on campus.

“When the system itself protects these perpetrators and allows this behavior to continue with no one actually being held accountable, it becomes a culture,” said Urrea as she opened the student speaking portion at Fraternity Row.

After Urrea was Eleazu, who spoke about intersectionality within the issue of sexual assault on college campuses, because this issue especially effects people of color and minorities.

“This is not just a problem about sex, it’s about race as well. Black women report higher rates of sexual harassment. When we talk about feminism, we have to remember intersectionality (because) it’s common for Black and POC experiences to be erased from conversations about sexual violence prevention policy,” said Eleazu.

She also shared her story about how she reported her rapist, but now he lives in the same apartment building as her and works with The Department of Resident Life.

“I have to take medicine three times a week just to manage my PTSD, and he gets to be employee of the month …  we live in a society where colleges prioritize plagiarism over justice for sexual assault victims,” she said.

The protestors asked that internal investigations from fraternities end, and that proper accountability is implemented.

Among the many volunteer speakers, Nick Marks, an education and government and politics major, said people should educate their sons  and people should condemn those complicit in sexual assault.

“You’re not brothers if you’re complicit in sexual assault. You yourself are perpetuating the cycle that we see. For a research university and for the president of the university to promote equity, but to not do anything about it, hurts me as an American and as a Terrapin,” Marks said.

The University of Maryland’s CARE to Stop Violence crisis line can be reached at (301) 741-3442. The university’s counseling center can be reached at (301) 314-7651. Individuals can file sexual misconduct or discrimination reports through the university’s Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct.