{"id":976,"date":"2019-12-08T21:06:07","date_gmt":"2019-12-08T21:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/12\/08\/2019126the-fight-for-morality\/"},"modified":"2020-09-05T19:22:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T19:22:06","slug":"2019126the-fight-for-morality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/12\/08\/2019126the-fight-for-morality\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fight for Morality: Quinnipiac\u2019s Efforts to Strike Down Hate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">By Brooke Reilly<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cHate crimes in the U.S. have increased, so I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if college campuses were acting as a microcosm of the greater U.S.,\u201d said Quinnipiac University Student Government Association President Austin Calvo.<\/p>\n<p>   <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vOBGj_oLxnk?wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1\" height=\"480\" width=\"854\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Calvo is a senior at Quinnipiac University, where he is studying political science. He is openly gay and was the victim of multiple hate crimes at Quinnipiac while he was running for SGA positions. These crimes emotionally hurt him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cFreshman year it kinda sucked because I was just a little freshman,\u201d Calvo said. \u201cI didn&#8217;t really have my place at Quinnipiac yet and all those kinds of things, so it just kind of like hurt and made me realize how much people still suck.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The first crime against Calvo took place in the spring of 2017 when he was running for sophomore class president. Calvo had three running mates who were also running for class SGA positions. The four students hung up posters around campus to campaign prior to elections. At the height of campaign season, Calvo received a call from one of his running mates telling him that someone vandalized one of their posters and to come by her room to see it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI went by her room, and I saw what was written on it,\u201d Calvo said. \u201cIt was just like penises, like defacing it and something written about me, like me being gay, like a word bubble coming out of my mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Calvo then spoke with a resident assistant (RA) about this issue. The RA brought this to the attention of the residence hall director, and they filed a report within student affairs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The second incident occurred in April 2019 while Calvo was running for SGA president.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI was running for an executive board position, so I had posters up all over both campuses,\u201d Calvo said. \u201cIt was in Irma (residence hall), I believe, there was a poster that I had to face. Someone wrote something about me, just like a slur about me being gay or something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Although it was similar to the situation Calvo went through two years earlier, he felt differently than he did as a first-year student.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThe one (hate crime) that happened last year (hurt) a little bit less so just because I was like, I&#8217;m very confident,\u201d Calvo said. \u201cI&#8217;m very sure of myself, and I love myself, and I love who I am. I was like, whatever, someone can hate me. It doesn&#8217;t affect me. Who cares?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Calvo is confident about who he is, but if this were to happen to someone else, he isn\u2019t sure that person would have the same response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cPeople of marginalized populations spend their entire lives trying to love themselves for who they are, and then all it takes is one thing like that to tear down years of confidence building,\u201d Calvo said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">When crimes that occur on college campuses are reported, specific steps are taken when investigating and filing reports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">According to<a href=\"https:\/\/clerycenter.org\/policy-resources\/the-clery-act\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">clerycenter.org<\/span><\/a>, \u201cthe Clery Act is a consumer protection law that aims to provide transparency around campus crime policy and statistics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The Clery Act requires every college and university across the country to release an annual security and fire safety report by Oct. 1 of each year. This is called the Clery report and includes a record of all reported crimes that occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the year prior. This document is required to be made available to the public.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.qu.edu\/content\/dam\/qu\/documents\/policies\/annual-security-report_mount-carmel-york-hill-campuses_2019.pdf\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Quinnipiac\u2019s 2019 Clery report<\/span><\/a> was released on Sept. 23, 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:1280.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:63.972286224365234%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/karoline_pic.jpg\" alt=\"Karoline Keith, Quinnipiac University Clery Compliance Officer\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/karoline_pic.jpg\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/karoline_pic.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"1280x960\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Karoline Keith, Quinnipiac University Clery Compliance Officer\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deadae9d883844b027cefea\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">Karoline Keith, Quinnipiac University Clery Compliance Officer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">When the crime was first committed, Calvo was busy campaigning for president, so he did not report it right away. At the beginning of this semester, he decided that he should report it; however, he did not go through student affairs this time. Calvo reported the incident directly to the Quinnipiac University Clery Compliance Officer Karoline Keith.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">As stated in Quinnipiac\u2019s Clery report, the Clery Compliance Officer must work with the Department of Public Safety, local and state law enforcement, Office of Human Resources, Office of Residential Life, Office of Student Affairs, Division of Athletics, the Title IX coordinator, the deans, the Office of Cultural and Global Engagement and other campus security authorities to track any crimes that take place throughout the year. This is tracked in all areas where students live in Quinnipiac housing. This includes the Mount Carmel campus, the York Hill campus, the North Haven campus, when students travel to conferences or games paid for by the university and students who are studying abroad at places that partner with Quinnipiac.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThings reported to me this year, in 2019, will be reflected in the 2020 annual security report,\u201d Keith said. \u201cIt&#8217;s always a year behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">According to page 52 of Quinnipiac\u2019s Clery report, \u201cthere are four categories of offenses that are required by law for statistical documentation within this report.\u201d These include: criminal offenses, such as murder, sex offenses and other identified serious crimes; VAWA offenses (Violence Against Women Act), such as domestic violence, dating violence and stalking offenses; arrest and referrals for disciplinary action and hate crimes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Calvo\u2019s incidents are both considered hate crimes on the basis of sexuality, so they fall under the category of offense. Both incidents will appear in the log for the 2020 Clery report reflecting crimes that were reported in 2019. Although the first incident occurred in 2017, it was not reported to Keith until last month along with the incident from April 2019. It is too late to go back and change the statistics from the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.qu.edu\/content\/dam\/qu\/documents\/policies\/annualsecurityreport_mountcarmelyorkhillcampuses_2017.pdf\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">2017 Clery Report<\/span><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThe Clery statistics reflect numbers on the time they were reported, not the time they occurred,&#8221; Keith said. \u201cIf something is reported to me this year that occurred last year or two years ago, it would show up in the statistics for the next annual security report that reflects those that year.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;Although all reported crimes are said to be cited in the Clery report, some may not appear in the annual report for various reasons, including people not coming forward with crimes or miscommunications between offices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI&#8217;d like to think that if they&#8217;ve (students) reported it (a crime) to a campus security authority or to one of my campus partners that that statistic would definitely be reflected in these statistics,\u201d Keith said. \u201cBut, I do know that whether they want to talk about it is entirely up to whether or not they want to.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">In 2018, the majority of crimes reported took place on the Mount Carmel campus. Very few crimes occurred on the York Hill campus, and no crimes were reported on the North Haven campus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Over the course of the last three years, the numbers indicated for each crime have fluctuated back and forth. Some noteworthy numbers include rapes, burglary, drug law violation arrests, and hate crimes.<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:2500.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:55.19630432128906%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Graphs-Final.png\" alt=\"Clery report statistics comparing the number of recorded rapes, drug law violations arrests, burglaries and hate crimes in 2016, 2017 and 2018\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Graphs-Final.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Graphs-Final.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"2500x1410\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Clery report statistics comparing the number of recorded rapes, drug law violations arrests, burglaries and hate crimes in 2016, 2017 and 2018\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deadb8614454b64bf039932\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">Clery report statistics comparing the number of recorded rapes, drug law violations arrests, burglaries and hate crimes in 2016, 2017 and 2018<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">In this case, the increase in hate crimes on campus is noteworthy. There were two incidents reported in 2016, one in 2017 and five in 2018.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThere&#8217;s a lot going on with our society and our culture and our Supreme Court and the media in those areas,\u201d Keith said. \u201cYou start to look at what&#8217;s going on outside of the university because we&#8217;re just a subculture right of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:1886.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:83.98727416992188%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mark-email.png\" alt=\"E-mail sent to all residential students by Quinnipiac University Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss on Nov. 4, 2019.\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mark-email.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mark-email.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"1886x1584\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"E-mail sent to all residential students by Quinnipiac University Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss on Nov. 4, 2019.\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deadbef14454b64bf03a5d6\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">E-mail sent to all residential students by Quinnipiac University Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss on Nov. 4, 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The university continues to see an increase in hate crimes across campus. On Nov. 4, Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss sent an e-mail to all residential students addressing \u201crecent incidents involving the alleged use of derogatory and racist language by Quinnipiac students.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThe university prohibits bias and discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, ability, national origin, age, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status,\u201d DeVilbiss said in the e-mail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">DeVilbiss said that he has seen bias related incidents through the use of derogatory and racial terms throughout his time with the university over the last three years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThat happens sometimes both in person, sometimes it has been in the form of a social media post or graffiti occasionally or vandalism of some kind,\u201d DeVilbiss said. \u201cWe don&#8217;t have a ton of incidents, but we have some, and we address those.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">During RA training sessions, a topic that is heavily stressed is identity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cLast August, a keynote speaker (came), we had time to break out into small groups to discuss,\u201d DeVilbiss said. \u201cWe want to make sure that our staffs are educated about the many different types of identity and whether that&#8217;s racial, gender identity, abilities, all of that, we talk about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The RAs are trained on how to respond to information that they learn as well. They are told to take pictures or screenshots if it is on social media and collect details. This allows the Office of Residential Life to follow up appropriately once an incident is reported.They are also taught how to respond sensitively by using inclusive language and providing comfort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cWe seek always to support the people who are involved,\u201d DeVilbiss said. \u201cIt can be challenging to support because being the subject or discriminated against in that way is a very traumatic experience for students and can be very emotional.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">DeVilbiss encouraged students to fill out<a href=\"https:\/\/cm.maxient.com\/reportingform.php?QuinnipiacUniv&amp;layout_id=0\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">an incident report form<\/span><\/a> if they are aware of any hateful behaviors occurring on campus.<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:1280.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:75.0%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Hamden_PD_pic.jpg\" alt=\"Hamden Police Department\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Hamden_PD_pic.jpg\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Hamden_PD_pic.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"1280x960\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Hamden Police Department\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deae73f9a5b6c791876cd9f\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">Hamden Police Department<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&#8220;We file incident reports, Residential Life incident reports, for all incidents that involve bias and discrimination,&#8221; DeVilbiss said. &#8220;Then those are reviewed by our Student Conduct Office in consultation with our Clery Officer, who would then include that data in the annual Clery report.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The Hamden Police Department works closely with the Department of Public Safety when it comes to crimes on campus. Between Jan. 1, 2019 and Oct. 1, 2019, Hamden police responded to calls on the Mount Carmel campus on 339 occasions, and they responded to the York Hill campus 75 times. Most of these were general patrols because the university hires the department to do nightly patrols. The majority of the other reasons that they came to campus were for motor vehicle accidents, intoxicated persons and general medical calls.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"\n  sqs-gallery-container\n  sqs-gallery-block-slider\n  \n  \n  \n  \n\n  \n    \n    \n  \n  sqs-gallery-block-show-meta\n  \n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n  block-animation-none\n  clear\"\n  \n  \n><\/p>\n<div class=\"sqs-gallery\">\n<p>              <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.38.46-PM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-12-06 at 5.38.46 PM.png\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.38.46-PM.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.38.46-PM.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"912x1144\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-12-06 at 5.38.46 PM.png\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deae62214454b64bf050cff\" data-type=\"image\" \/><\/p>\n<p>              <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.40.42-PM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-12-06 at 5.40.42 PM.png\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.40.42-PM.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-06-at-5.40.42-PM.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"932x1126\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-12-06 at 5.40.42 PM.png\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deae62ad883844b027e8450\" data-type=\"image\" \/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;white-space:pre-wrap;\" class=\"\">Case incident reports for the Mount Carmel campus (left) and York Hill campus (right)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cEven when they don\u2019t hire us, the area car is going to go over there and patrol it (campus) normally and also take complaints there,\u201d said Sgt. Anthony Diaz of the Hamden Police Department. \u201cIf it\u2019s a serious call for whatever reason, they\u2019ll send two cars in addition to a supervisor.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:1940.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:56.08247375488281%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/timely-warning-email.png\" alt=\"Timely warning e-mail from Quinnipiac University Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/timely-warning-email.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/timely-warning-email.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"1940x1088\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Timely warning e-mail from Quinnipiac University Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deae7cca95b4527acb4db28\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">Timely warning e-mail from Quinnipiac University Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">On Nov. 13, Chief of the Department of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez notified the Quinnipiac community about a student who reported being sexually assaulted just outside of campus. The notification came via email as a timely warning to comply with the Clery Act. The student reported that the incident occurred at the intersection between New Road and Mount Carmel Avenue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">In a situation like this, the Hamden Police Department has to step in to assist with the investigation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThe special victims unit, they&#8217;re going to investigate that type of crime,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cIt&#8217;s not going to be like a patrolman function or an officer who was hired there just for patrolling factors. He might do the initial investigation, but we&#8217;re going to call in the detective division and let those guys who specialize in that stuff handle that case.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Hamden Police have not found the men accused of the assault, so Quinnipiac\u2019s Title IX office can\u2019t do much to help since its job is to help remedy hostile situations. But sometimes, even if the accused is known, Title IX offices don\u2019t always help. That was the case at DePaul University in Chicago earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Student reporters wondered why<a href=\"https:\/\/depauliaonline.com\/40745\/news\/students-question-title-ix-offices-accessibility-and-conduct\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">DePaul\u2019s Title IX office wasn\u2019t represented at sexual assault awareness month events in April.<\/span><\/a> Ella Lee and Emma Oxnevad are editors for The DePaulia, which is the university\u2019s student-run newspaper. Upon noticing this, they decided to take matters into their own hands and investigate.<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:1070.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:15.88888931274414%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DePaulia.png\" alt=\"The DePaulia, DePaul University\u2019s student-run newspaper\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DePaulia.png\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DePaulia.png\" data-image-dimensions=\"1070x206\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"The DePaulia, DePaul University\u2019s student-run newspaper\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5deae837d883844b027eb84c\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p class=\"\">The DePaulia, DePaul University\u2019s student-run newspaper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">They began by going to more sexual assault awareness events and speaking with groups on campus who were directly involved with these events. They then sent out a survey to the student body by posting in class group Facebook pages asking about students experiences with the Title IX office. Students were allowed to remain anonymous if they chose to because of the sensitivity of the topic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cWe did have one instance of a student who gave her name and was willing to be quoted under a fake name, who said that she had an encounter with the office where she was assaulted at a campus event,\u201d Oxnevad said. \u201cShe was told by whoever she was in contact with within that office (Title IX) that they had spoken to the person she had accused prior to meeting with her, and that given that she had been drinking at this event, or that she had admitted to drinking, that they couldn&#8217;t believe her story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The only response that the Title IX office gave the student was that she should go to counseling for alcoholism. This alarmed Lee and Oxnevad because it proved to them that things were not being handled properly within the Title IX office.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">They published the student\u2019s story, but they could not get in contact with the Title IX coordinator or get a statement from the university. They sent multiple messages but never received a response. After several weeks went by, the DePaulia\u2019s faculty advisor told the student journalists that they needed to get something from the coordinator because it was only showing one side to the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">They decided to go to the Title IX office to ask to speak with the Title IX coordinator in person. When they got there, a student worker was at the front desk. They explained what they were inquiring, and the worker set up an appointment for them to meet with the coordinator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The following day, their advisor was sent an email from the dean of the School of Communications who received word that Lee and Oxnevad had faked being assaulted to get an interview. The students both said this was completely incorrect and there must have been miscommunication along the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cThere was talk about there maybe having to be a student trial, but then obviously, the coordinator or whoever in the Title IX office backtracked and said that it didn&#8217;t happen and that she misunderstood the situation,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The students had finally received permission to interview Jessica Landis, who was the Title IX coordinator at the time and released<a href=\"https:\/\/depauliaonline.com\/41186\/news\/a-conversation-with-depaul-title-ix\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">her response<\/span><\/a> to their original story. After the story was published, Landis left the university in the middle of her contract. The students did not know if she was fired or if she quit, but they believe that it had to do with the story they wrote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">At the beginning of the fall 2019 semester, DePaul hired a<a href=\"https:\/\/depauliaonline.com\/42566\/news\/depaul-hires-new-title-ix-coordinator-retitles-position\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">new director of gender equity<\/span><\/a>. This role was previously known as the Title IX coordinator. Lee and Oxnevad sat down to<a href=\"https:\/\/depauliaonline.com\/44129\/news\/as-depauls-title-ix-office-rebrands-new-director-aims-for-transparency\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">interview Ann Skiffington<\/span><\/a> on Nov. 11, who was hired for this position, to learn more about the Title IX office and what her role is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;Lee and Oxnevad said that the most important thing that they learned is that Title IX officers must remain objective and cannot support any students in their cases. They felt that a lot of students were not aware of that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;\u201cThe Title IX office could be mishandling cases, but also, they&#8217;re not there to be a shoulder to cry on,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The student journalists said that they believe that there is still more to the story about issues within the university\u2019s Title IX office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">When asked her opinion on the Title IX issues at DePaul University, Quinnipiac University Title IX Coordinator Catlin Wells said, \u201cI cannot speak to the specifics of the DePaul case. I can tell you, however, that Quinnipiac University takes seriously all allegations of discrimination. Students have a right under the federal law, and under university policies, to file a complaint of discrimination or misconduct. Additionally, students have a right to a prompt, thorough and impartial response.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Although there are not any current issues within Quinnipiac\u2019s Title IX office, there have been previous issues prior to when Wells began in December 2018. One of these issues included a<a href=\"https:\/\/q30tv.com\/news\/q30-newscast\/title-ix-lawsuit-against-quinnipiac-to-go-to-trial\/\"> <span style=\"text-decoration:underline\">case that went to trial in July 2019<\/span><\/a> saying that the university was \u201cmotivated to favor female students over male students in its (Title IX) disciplinary proceedings.\u201d This was an older case from 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cAs a Title IX coordinator, it is my responsibility to treat everyone who comes through my door with dignity and respect and to give all students an opportunity to be heard,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;The result has meant more work for Wells and her office, but students know they have a safe place to go when they encounter a hostile environment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI train on every single policy,\u201d Wells said.&nbsp; \u201cI have found that as I have trained the institution more, we\u2019ve seen an uptick in reporting overall realistically because people know where to go if something happens.&nbsp; When people know who to tell, they\u2019re more likely to share that information.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">That information can lead to courageous students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">&nbsp;\u201cThe spirit of Clery is intended to give guidance to prospective students and students that are going here to whether or not they would want to come here and how the university in general is, what kind of crimes are occurring here,\u201d Keith said. \u201cI think the next question, the Clery report, the annual security report, is embedded with what we&#8217;re doing to protect our students and what we&#8217;re doing in the area of being proactive rather than reactive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Calvo has another idea that he believes can help, which is having conversations about hate crimes and their impact on students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cBeing gay is just part of my identity, but it&#8217;s not who I am,\u201d Calvo said. \u201cI think that just kind of having dialogue and conversations can really work to reduce hate crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The Clery report is a record of all reported crimes that occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the year prior to being released and is required to be made public by every institution of higher education annually. Quinnipiac University has had its share of hate crimes recently, but university officials and students hope to put an end to this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,236],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-capstone-projects","category-qnn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=976"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1432,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/976\/revisions\/1432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}