UC Berkeley sexual assault victims file federal complaint
BERKELEY -- Cal students angered by how their campus handles sexual assaults have filed a sweeping new federal complaint against UC Berkeley, drawing more scrutiny to a campus already facing a state investigation and mounting criticism.
For the second time since May, but in far larger numbers, a group of current and former students is asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the university, claiming Cal violated federal anti-discrimination laws by failing to protect them against sexual harassment and assault. And now their show of force is starting to get results from the university.
On Wednesday, in a powerful news conference at the campus's journalism school, six of the women -- wearing Cal T-shirts and sweatshirts -- told stories of despair, frustration and pain. They say the campus disciplinary process -- commonly used in addition to, or instead of, a criminal investigation -- fails to investigate and punish assailants or to keep victims informed about the status of their cases. Instead of feeling supported by their school, they said, they felt victimized again.
"I feel unsafe on my own campus, my own home. And the worst part of it is, I no longer trust my university to stand up for me. For four years, I dreaded leaving UC Berkeley, and now I can't wait to get out," wrote Cal senior Shannon Thomas in the complaint.
full: http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_25233152/uc-berkeley-sexual-assault-victims-file-federal-complaint
LA Times: 31 women accuse UC Berkeley of botching sexual assault investigations
Other sources: Daily Californian (UC Berkeley student paper), KGO-TV, University Herald, Sacramento Bee, Al Jazeera America, RH Reality Check
SMH not even a "progressive" campus like UC Berkeley can serve justice for rape victims?