Students protest to raise awareness for sexual assault on campus
Editor’s note: The South Texan has changed the names of some student victims who spoke at the sexual assault protest march held April 29 in order to protect their identities and keep them from being further victimized. Please note some statement below could be triggering for some readers. Be advised.
“I was raped by a [member of an athletic team],” Charlie* said.
“I was followed into my apartment by one of the [members of an athletic team]. He cornered me in my kitchen, didn’t take no for an answer,” Gabriela* said. “And now, while I get to go to therapy twice a week, he gets to live his life.”
“He remembers it, I don’t. He still prides himself on it,” Estefania* said.
These are the voices of students on campus who experienced sexual assault at some point in their life.
A student-led protest against sexual assault took place on Thursday, April 29, as a result of the alleged lack of justice provided by university officials. Students marched in attempt to acknowledge the alleged lack of investigation and consequence for sexual assault cases on campus and shed light to the voices that have been silenced.
Days prior to the protest, posts were made in an anonymous online app known as Yik Yak, that allows students to communicate within a five-mile radius, according to the app. Although the creators of these posts are unidentified, the posts that were made involved the women of TAMUK who were planning on participating in Thursday’s protest. Other posts that were made targeted the appearance of women across the university. Some believe members of an athletic team on campus are responsible, but these allegations have not been substantiated.
The protest is credited to freshman Ximena Cantu in response to the stories she had been hearing regarding sexual assault.
“I was hearing stories… and that got me mad, and it clicked on my brain, we should do something about it. Why not have a protest?” she explained.
About 50 men and women of the university gathered by the pavilion to protest and march across campus.
The event began with a few words shared by Cantu, junior Carmela Martinez and senior Erial Hawkins. They thanked everyone in attendance and expressed their purpose for gathering. Soon after, a chorus of chants followed the students as they made their way towards College Hall, University Boulevard and through campus, while holding an array of signs that were raised up as they walked.
Once the students finished marching, they made their way back to the pavilion where they gathered. A few women shared their stories of assault, others expressed their sentiments, and all were supported.
“When are these changes going to happen? I’m just a freshman and it is already enough for me. This [change] should happen quickly. Now, not later, not next year – now,” said Cantu, with tears streaming down her face as she placed herself in the middle of the gathering and spoke into a bullhorn.
Students hugged and cried on each other’s shoulders to show support for each other. Other students engaged in conversation with staff members, no one was left out.
A notable statement was given by a student in who mentioned they checked the Clery Crime Log that is managed by the University Police Department and noticed the log has not been updated since August 2021.
“This semester alone we have received multiple right-to-know emails and none of that has been logged in the reports. What’s up with that?” Heather* said. “We deserve transparency. I’m tired of hearing ‘it’s under investigation,’ because what does that mean? What are you doing? It is not an accurate answer, it should not be an answer.”
The South Texan reached out to UPD to determine why logs are outdated online. As seen on the TAMUK UPD website, the Crime Log has not been updated since 2021 and the Crime Blotter has not been updated online since 2020. Officers would not comment. UPD was in attendance at the protest to ensure student safety.
“We expected a safe protest and we had other officers come in early for shift, just in case anything happened for the safety of the students,” Interim Police Chief Gabriel Gonzalez said. “We want to make sure these people are safe, and these people don’t carry out the threat because we don’t know what people are capable of.”
Along with UPD, Title IX Coordinator Tasha Clark was seen at the event sharing information as well as giving away bracelets.
Clark said that Title IX does have a process in which students can fill out a complaint and return it to her office. An investigative process then begins and will ultimately go to a hearing panel that would make any determination on the complaint.
“I would like to say, from the university perspective that one incident of sexual assault is too many,” Clark said. “My role here is to make sure that we are connecting students to resources and supportive measures as well as talk to them about what the formal complaint process [is] and facilitate that process.”
Executive Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Steve Roach and Assistant Director for Compliance and Academics Hanna Lantz were also seen at the protest but did not march with the students. The South Texan was asked to speak with student athletes who were in attendance, but were told by Roach and Lantz that they could not comment on the situation.
Roach did say that student athletes are expected to comply with a high standard of conduct.
“We expect our student athletes to handle themselves always in a manner that is above approach,” Roach said. “It is continual education, it is continual ‘be a good teammate,’ ‘help a teammate out,’ they hear it daily from our coaches. Not just about their sport performance but about how their conduct off the court and field can also benefit the program when they go around. We are consistently sending that message.”
Interim President James Hallmark issued out an email in which he recaps the events that took place across Javelina Nation this week. Hallmark addresses the protest by saying that, “a group of courageous students gathered to raise sexual assault awareness on campus.” He also states that while he was sorry to miss the event, he wants to let students know they have been heard and will continue to work with them to ensure the campus is a safe environment for all.
If any student wishes to report sexual assault cases, visit Title IX in Lewis Hall, Room 130 or contact them at (361) 592-4758. Students can also make reports to UPD in Lewis Hall or by contacting them at (361) 593-2611
“You do not expect somebody that you love to hurt you like that and it hurts a lot. I just say that if you are in a relationship, male or female whatever, you need to listen to your partner if they’re uncomfortable,” Jane* said. “You are not to blame [for what has happened to you], the person who hurts you is to blame, and it took a long time for me to realize that.”
*Not her real name.
