University of Oregon on High Alert After String of Sexual Assaults
Five incidents reported in the first week of classes prompt renewed calls for action on campus safety.
The University of Oregon is on high alert following a series of five sexual assaults reported on or near campus within the first week of the academic year. The university issued an alert on September 30 regarding the incidents, which have prompted concern and renewed calls for action from Oregon lawmakers.
Four of the assaults involved University of Oregon students, while a fifth occurred off-campus near the Alton Baker Dog Park. According to the university's alert, the assaults are not believed to be related, but investigators noted that several alleged perpetrators may have taken advantage of victims who were intoxicated at social events. The affected students have been offered support resources, and the incidents are currently under investigation by the university and the Eugene Police Department.
The string of assaults comes amid increased national attention on campus safety, including the widely reported "Cornell 7" case, which has led to significant public outcry. In response to the events at the University of Oregon, state legislators have voiced their concerns.
"Jane Doe’s story is as harrowing and heartbreaking as the fact that it is not unusual," said Rep. Lisa Fragala (D-Eugene), chair of the Committee on Higher Education, referencing the Cornell case. "I see these five cases in the first week of classes not as an increase in violence but an increase in students finding their voice to speak on it."
Rep. Annessa Hartman (D-Gladstone and Oregon City), chief sponsor of Oregon’s Campus Survivors Act (HB 3456), which aims to provide students who experience sexual assault with access to free advocacy, medical, and counseling services, echoed these sentiments. "Survivors know this story is NOT one in a million," Hartman stated.
Rep. Nancy Nathanson (D-North Eugene) emphasized the need for educational institutions to adopt a more proactive approach to preventing sexual assault, noting the severe impact such incidents have on survivors' mental and social well-being. "College campuses are meant to be a place where young adults learn, grow, and become themselves, and we cannot allow for this disgusting behavior that causes lasting damage to the lives and futures of these young women enduring this harm," Nathanson told KOIN 6 News.