<p>I applaud the student for describing her harrowing rape and for describing the pitiful follow-up by Amherst’s administration. I also applaud Amherst’s student paper for printing it despite the clear negative publicity it would bring on the school and, unfortunately by implication, its students the vast majority of whom would never engage in or otherwise tolerate such behavior. </p>
<p>I find it surprising that Amherst’s president appeared to be so shocked by these turn of events (especially if lawyers in Boston had previously alerted Amherst to this issue, as the student stated). This is kind of like in Casablanca – I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here – and if the president is telling the truth paints her as out of touch. The bottom line is that, like at Penn State, it took a public humiliation from the student newspaper for the president to take at least a few concrete steps to address the issue (such as using an investigator and changing the procedure at hearings ). </p>
<p>But the president’s idea that what Amherst needs is a committee to study things further is laughable. This is the time in memoriam way to act like something is being done, while really not doing anything, until the heat passes over. What will a committee tell Amherst’s president that common sense would not? </p>
<p>One thing the committee most likely would not do is recommend a crack-down on under-age drinking. But unless colleges, including but not limited to Amherst, get alcohol under control the probabilities of sexual assaults will remain high. </p>
<p>Another obvious step is for Amherst to institute a policy that, with the victim’s consent, the college will report rape or sexual assaults to the police regardless of how much time has passed between the student report and the incident. If the victim does not consent, then Amherst would continue its own investigative process. In addition, Amherst should make it clear that any student found responsible for a sexual offense will be expelled from school with a permanent mark on the student’s record that will not be subject to expungement. These steps would hopefully have an in terrorem effect and at a minimum will make it clear that offenders will not be coddled.</p>