University of Chicago students rally with 'Jane Doe' in wake of sexual assault reports

When Ray Epstein looked out into a crowd of more than 100 University of Chicago students near a fraternity house where a woman said she was sexually assaulted, a request was made.

Epstein, who represented the sexual assault prevention company What They Don't Say, asked them to raise their hands if they knew a survivor of sexual violence or had been a victim themselves.

Nearly every hand in the crowd went up. Some teared up or hugged another person.

On Wednesday night, the students gathered to call on the University of Chicago to improve its sexual assault prevention and survivor support in the wake of two cases in recent weeks tied to the campus.

“How many Jane Does will it take?” Epstein said. “How many Jane Does will it take before universities begin treating sexual violence as a problem worth preventing instead of one worth reacting to after the fact?”

Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times

Students challenged the university to establish a mandatory minimum disciplinary action for students accused of sexual assault, require sexual assault awareness training and sex education and hire a third-party consultant approved by students to conduct an audit of the university’s police department and Title IX office, which handles reports of sexual assault and student conduct.

The University of Chicago didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The students held signs reading “expel him,” “hold perpetrators accountable,” and “we deserve a rape-free campus." They chanted “we are Jane Doe,” referencing the anonymous name used in lawsuits alleging sexual assault.

Speakers focused on changes they want from the university and how pervasive the issue of sexual assault has been at colleges for decades.

“Now that schools are getting sued, they’re starting to listen,” said Tracy DeTomasi, CEO of sexual violence prevention organization Callisto.

DeTomasi encouraged University of Chicago donors to pull their support, suggesting the institution won’t make changes until it affects their bottom line.

Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times

Students and organizers in attendance at the rally said current prevention efforts at the school are inadequate, distributed late and unevenly enforced. Some already available resources encourage students to protect themselves instead of discouraging sexual violence or encouraging consent, some students said.

“We keep asking students to protect students,” said Jack Poon, a University of Chicago senior. “It shouldn’t be on me.”