University of Virginia grapples with response to gang rape report

Excessive alcohol consumption is the “fuel” for sexual assault, according to University of Virginia Board of Visitors member L.D. Britt.

The university’s board of directors met Tuesday to formulate a response to the firestorm created by last week’s Rolling Stone article detailing the disturbing sexual assault of a woman at a fraternity house and the “culture of rape” plaguing the school. In response to the story, the school suspended activities at all fraternities and sororities, where officials acknowledge much of the drinking on campus takes place.

“We have to address that,” said Britt. “We cannot push that under the rug. It was the fuel when I was here back in 1968. And it’s the fuel now.”

Like nearly every other college campus in the country, University of Virginia (UVA) students under 21 have no difficulty gaining access to alcohol. The board debated the practicality of a sustained campus-wide crackdown on underage drinking. Board member Bonnie Kilberg suggested the university work to stop underage drinking completely.

Tommy Reid, president of the school’s Inter-Fraternity Council, said such a ban might just push drinking “underground.” Other student leaders agreed and expressed concerns about students moving their drinking to unsafe locations such as their cars.

About 97,000 U.S. students between 18 and 24 years old report alcohol-induced sexual assaults, including gang rapes, every year, according to the government’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Based on UVA’s student population, more than 100 students per year are likely to be victims of such an assault on campus. That means that for this one story that has grabbed the national spotlight, dozens more likely linger in the shadows.

And that’s assuming every assault is actually reported.

Faced with such a high profile incident, UVA officials are being forced to examine their current policies under intense public scrutiny.

“Sexual violence is a problem in fraternities and the Greek system,” said Reid. “We don’t want to hide that. … It’s upsetting to admit.”

By the end of the three-hour meeting, the board approved a zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault. It also agreed to form an ad-hoc group including board members, administrators, and students to propose some viable short-term solutions prior to the board’s next meeting, tentatively scheduled for mid-December.

But the school’s leaders acknowledged even those actions likely won’t be enough to satisfy students concerned about their safety and the school’s image.

During the meeting, several student protesters held signs, including one featuring a picture of the school’s founder, Thomas Jefferson, and the words “Sexual misconduct—a Jeffersonian tradition.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.