"Any student who is victimized must know that the school will do everything to hold the perpetrator accountable."
Syracuse University and Cazenovia College have joined the list of private colleges and universities across the state that are supporting the “Enough is Enough” campaign, an initiative of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration. The proposal is meant to push the State University of New York’s sexual assault policy into the private sector.
Meaghan Greeley, a Syracuse University student, told her story of an attempted rape at a small liberal arts college in New York state. During this “Enough is Enough” campaign stop at SU on Tuesday, Greeley said she often thinks about how things could have been different -- if the rules being considered now, had been in effect then.
"I would have known about available resources, both on and off campus. The college administrators and support staff there would have been trained in how to respond to and support me,” she said. “And maybe the man who came very close in his intention of raping me, would have been held accountable.”
Greeley left campus after her freshman year. She now works at Vera House in Syracuse, an organization that helps victims of sexual assault.
“No student should ever worry that they will become a victim of the type of horrific assaults that I experienced,” Greeley said. “And just as important, any student who is victimized must know that the school will do everything to hold the perpetrator accountable.”
Ten private schools, in addition to SU, have joined the campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses through this legislation. It still needs to be approved by the state legislature, before it becomes law.
