The case of Brock Turner, the Stanford student sentenced to just six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, has sparked widespread outrage. The story of the 23-year-old survivor has resonated with people throughout the nation — and especially with students at Stanford University.
According to the Stanford Daily, a group of graduating seniors plan on protesting the case at the school’s upcoming commencement address on Sunday. At a tradition known as the “Wacky Walk,” a ceremony in which students parade through the stadium in costumes before commencement, protesters will carry signs and wear decorated caps to demonstrate their support for the survivor, who is known simply as Emily Doe.
“I saw the same sort of verbiage being used: ‘What was she wearing? What was she drinking? What about this, and what about that?’” Brianne Huntsman, a senior who is involved in organizing the protest, told the campus paper. The goal of the protest, she added, is to honor Emily Doe and all survivors of sexual assault, and to encourage university administrators to conduct a campus climate survey on sexual assault.
“This is a place where we’re tackling big issues,” she added. “Yes, we’re having fun, but we’re also facing this broader issue affecting Stanford.”
The Stanford Rape Victim Controlled The Public Narrative Without Giving Up Her PrivacyBy now you likely know the story of the Stanford rape survivor. You know it because you heard it from her: Her 7,200…thinkprogress.orgHer point reflects a desire among students for Stanford administration to seriously address campus sexual assault. A Change.org petition created by the Stanford Association of Students for Sexual Assault Prevention calls on the university to publicly apologize to survivor Emily Doe, to offer her counseling and other needed services, and to devote more resources to sexual assault prevention. To date, the petition has earned more than 115,000 signatures.
“Everyone has acknowledged that the spotlight is on Stanford now,” Association member Stephanie Pham told the Guardian. “Stanford is associated with Brock Turner the sex offender.” Indeed, the backlash against Turner’s sentence and scrutiny of the California campus is likely to intensify. Yesterday, court documents released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department suggest that Turner lied to his probation officer and the court about his party habits and use of drugs. As ThinkProgress’ Alex Zielinski previously reported, Brock wrote in a letter to probation officer Monia Lassettre that he had “never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol” thanks to his small town Ohio upbringing. “I’ve been shattered by the party culture and risk taking behavior that I briefly experienced in my four months at school,” he lamented. In fact, court evidence from Turner’s own cell phone showed that he had been using drugs and drinking alcohol while he was a high school student in Ohio.
On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden penned an open letter to the survivor, asserting that the case filled him with “furious anger.” Congressmen on both sides of the aisle are also weighing in. Next week, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) will read the entirety of Emily Doe’s powerful statement on the House floor.