I am concerned about the cancellation of all social paired events in the greek community that occurred after the reported sexual assault Oct. 31 at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.
Sexual assaults are pervasive in our entire society and need to be taken seriously. The victims need comprehensive long-term support. The investigation needs to be thorough to determine if the perpetrator needs to be removed from campus. Most sexual assaults are committed by a small number of repeat offenders. The key is to remove the offenders and punish the correct people after a fair investigation.
I disagree with punishing an entire population of students who were not the perpetrators and would not be complacent with such a serious crime. The majority follow strict guidelines to keep people safe. The house where the assault occurred needs to be investigated.
IU greek life: IU PHA and IFC email details social activity suspension amid rise of reported sexual assaults
Greek life has many pros and cons. The greek houses are not the root of the sexual assault problem clearly since assaults happen across the entire campus. This is a societal problem.
Recognize greek life also gives many students the community they need to feel they are part of IU. Greek life also provides many philanthropic benefits for the campus and Bloomington.
Due to the pandemic, students across the country lost an entire year of normal social activities that can never be recovered. Do not underestimate the importance of these social activities for mental health, stress relief and connections with other people.
Solve the assault problem by investigating thoroughly, encouraging students to come forward with information, supporting victims long term and educating all students to be involved in prevention. Everyone needs to be involved. One population randomly singled out will not fix this pervasive problem over the entire campus.
— Lynne Eversman, M.D.
