Stanford University's Title IX office has sparked campus outrage by discontinuing the use of the term "survivor" in sexual assault cases, opting instead for "impacted student" to maintain neutrality. This change has led to widespread criticism and accusations of invalidating victims' experiences.
The university's Title IX office will also undergo a name change, shifting from "Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education (SHARE)" to the "Title IX & Title VI Office." Pelagia Martin, a former SHARE student who identified as a victim of sexual assault, told The Stanford Daily that the term "survivor" was replaced with "impacted student." This shift, along with the office's decision to withdraw from sexual assault awareness events like "Take Back the Night," prompted Martin to resign from her position.
Michele Dauber, an emerita law professor at Stanford, also voiced her disappointment, asserting that the change undermines the reality faced by victims. Patrick Dunkley, Stanford's vice provost for Institutional Equity, Access and Community, stated that while "survivor" will still be used in educational programming, "impacted student" is intended for use in ongoing cases to ensure neutrality. He added that the office continues to "refine its focus on supporting and educating our community on a range of harassment and discrimination experiences, and responding fairly and with care to reported violations."
However, Martin views the change as a "direct attack" on her credibility and a "blatant dismissal of a survivor's voice." The controversy comes on the heels of a separate incident earlier this year where an armed man sexually assaulted a female jogger near the Stanford campus, leaving the community shaken.