CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WUSA9) -- An investigation is underway after allegations of sexual assault at the University of Virginia surfaced in a recent Rolling Stone article.
The article, titled A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA, was published Wednesday on Rolling Stone's website. It tells the story of a first year student who claims that she was sexually assaulted by multiple men at a fraternity party in September 2012.
"Jackie was just starting her freshman year at the University of Virginia when she was brutally assaulted by seven men at a frat party. When she tried to hold them accountable, a whole new kind of abuse began," the article begins.
The article goes on to tell Jackie's story about the night of her alleged rape and the process that followed afterwards when she tried to seek help from the university. The writer alleges that the University of Virginia administration covers up sexual assault to protect its reputation. Reporting sexually assault is taboo and threatens the school's party culture, according to the Rolling Stone article.
Charlottesville police are formally investigating the report, University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday night.
Phi Kapp Psi, the fraternity at the center of the allegations, was vandalized after the article's release, according to CBS6 in Richmond. In a letter obtained by the Cavalier Daily, the fraternity says it has suspended itself pending further investigation.
Governor McAuliffe expressed "deep concerns" and has spoken to university leadership about the accusations, which are now under investigation. He also asked for a full review of their sexual assault policies and procedures using outside experts.
Read his full statement here:
"I was deeply disturbed to read about the sexual assault allegations outlined in Rolling Stone magazine. Sexual violence is a nationwide problem, and it is critical that our schools acknowledge that this is a pervasive issue and take bold action to end it.
"Earlier today, I spoke to the university leadership and conveyed my deep concerns with what has been reported. We are in agreement that a full and fair investigation must be pursued, and I have called for a zero tolerance strategy to combat campus sexual assault. I have asked university officials to conduct a full review of all of their policies and procedures and if decided, to bring in outside experts to assist in this effort.
"We must also find ways that our local law enforcement and prosecution efforts can better align with university actions. Earlier this year, I signed Executive Order 25 establishing the Governor's Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence, sending a message that Virginia will not tolerate sexual violence on our campuses or in our communities. Now is the time to act — we must ensure that survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and we must do more to hold perpetrators accountable.
As the parents of five children, this is an issue Dorothy and I care deeply about. I look forward to seeing strong recommendations from the task force that will help keep more Virginians safe and ensure that our students are free from the threat of sexual violence."
University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan issued the following statement:
To the University community:
I am writing in response to a Rolling Stone magazine article that negatively depicts the University of Virginia and its handling of sexual misconduct cases. Because of federal and state privacy laws, and out of respect for sexual assault survivors, we are very limited in what we can say about any of the cases mentioned in this article.
The article describes an alleged sexual assault of a female student at a fraternity house in September 2012, including many details that were previously not disclosed to University officials. I have asked the Charlottesville Police Department to formally investigate this incident, and the University will cooperate fully with the investigation.
The University takes seriously the issue of sexual misconduct, a significant problem that colleges and universities are grappling with across the nation. Our goal is to provide an environment that is as safe as possible for our students and the entire University community.
We have recently adopted several new initiatives and policies aimed at fostering a culture of reporting and raising awareness of the issues.
We want our students to feel comfortable coming forward with information when there are problems in the community and cooperating with local law enforcement and the student disciplinary process. We also want them to feel empowered to take action and to lead efforts to make our Grounds and our community a better place to live and learn.
We have been taking a leadership role on issues regarding sexual misconduct and violence. U.Va. hosted a national conference on this topic in February 2014. "Dialogue at U.Va.: Sexual Misconduct Among College Students" brought together national experts and professionals from approximately 60 colleges and universities to discuss best practices and strategies for prevention and response.
The HoosGotYourBack initiative, part of the Not On Our Grounds awareness campaign, was developed and launched in collaboration with students and with local Corner merchants to increase active bystander behavior.
A number of other initiatives are also planned for the spring. Among them are the implementation of a new student sexual misconduct policy and a related training program, a campus climate survey and an in-depth bystander intervention program that will include students, faculty and staff.
More information about sexual violence education and resources is available on the University's website at http://www.virginia.edu/sexualviolence/.
Finally, I want to underscore our commitment to marshaling all available resources to assist our students who confront issues related to sexual misconduct. Our dedicated Student Affairs staff devote countless hours to educating and counseling our students on issues regarding their health and safety, and they stand ready to assist whenever students need help.
Teresa A. Sullivan
President
