I want to publicize an ongoing problem at GWU at the moment, as a student, to any parents or students considering attending this school. GWU has found a senior guilty of sexual assault, but is allowing him not only to graduate this upcoming May, but also allowing him to remain employed as a supervisor in the main GW gym, where he has access to locker rooms and such.
Please keep in mind when applying here that GWU has had numerous cases over recent years similar to this one, and also has a high reported rate of sexual assault, higher than any of the other schools in the area, but also an incredibly low rate of punishment for those found guilty.
I’m sorry to be a downer, but I view this information as incredibly important for prospective students.
First off, I recognize that there have been cases of sexual assault at GW (as there are at ALL universities in this country). Further, I think that any case of sexual assault is one too many.
With that said, your statements are either exaggerated or flat-out false scare tactics. The case you’re referencing was from a female that filed the complaint her senior year on an event that happened her freshman year. While I understand that there are cases that are delayed in reporting, it still raises a flag to authorities in “why wait” if it’s true. It’s entirely possible that the administration thought this and erred on the side of caution (hence the delayed suspension.)
And for the record, GW does not have a rate “higher than any of the other schools in the area.”
According to the Washington Post:
Name Pop. Cases (Per 1,000)
George Washington University DC 25613 23 0.9
Gallaudet University DC 1488 12 8.1
American University DC 13061 12 0.9
Georgetown University DC 17858 12 0.7
Howard University DC 10265 6 0.6
Catholic University of America DC 6699 5 0.7
As you can see, GW is tied with American and barely higher than Georgetown. We’re talking about a 0.01 percent difference between the schools, so don’t try to act like GW is so different- it’s practically the same.
EDIT: The table doesn’t show-up very well. Here’s a link to the data: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/07/these-colleges-have-the-most-reports-of-rape/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.58e2202219c7#rapetable
“‘Why wait’ if it’s true” can easily explained if you were actually educated in the effects of sexual assault/rape. It is a traumatic event that people usually want to escape from, not have to tell their story a million times during the reporting process. People often face severe depression and/or anxiety from their experiences. Less than 5% of rapists go to jail, which severely discourages people from reporting their experiences as they question what the point is.