How Liberty University Discourages and Dismisses Students' Reports of Sexual Assault
When Elizabeth Axley first told Liberty University officials she had been raped, she was confident theyd do the right thing. After all, the evangelical Christian school invoked scripture to encourage students to report abuse.
Speak up for those who cant speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate. Proverbs 31:8. It was quoted in large type across an information sheet from the schools office tasked with handling discrimination and abuse.
Axley was a first-year student at Liberty in the fall of 2017. She had been at the school less than three months. One Saturday night, she went to a Halloween party at an off-campus apartment and drank eight shots of vodka, along with a couple of mixed drinks. She doesnt remember much after that, until, she recalls, waking up with a fellow student on top of her and his hand pressed over her mouth. (The student denies Axleys allegations.)
After Axley returned to her dorm, she called the campus police department. One of the officers drove her to the local hospital, where, records show, a nurse documented 15 bruises, welts and lacerations on her arm, face and torso.
Axley wasnt sure what to do next, but she did know that she wanted the man to stay away from her, as she recalled. So when Axley got back to her dorm that Sunday morning, she again told someone at Liberty, her resident adviser.
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