An email sent by Interim President George Hynd to the Winthrop community following the publication of an article detailing the university’s handling of sexual assault allegations was not an adequate response to an outraged student body.
This highly defensive email is practically a shrug of the shoulders towards students who brought forth their hurt and trauma in hopes their university would step up for them. This email is evidence that Winthrop officials did the bare minimum by only focusing on the ways in which officials acted in accordance with protocol.
There was no direction to the Office of Victim’s Assistance nor any mention of how a student should report assault. This was an attempt to justify behavior and brush off scrutiny from students. It did not address the unreleased climate survey from 2017 that identified 75 student participants who described instances of sexual assault that happened on campus.
Building a relationship of trust between the student body and the faculty and staff who are tasked with not only educating students, but nurturing future generations of the educated populace, should be a priority for Winthrop University.
The fact that Hynd’s email to the Winthrop community neglected to even mention the names of the survivors, Phillips and Marindin, who willingly shared their stories with the Winthrop community in hopes of raising awareness and preventing future trauma for fellow eagles, demonstrates the school’s commitment to indifference and apathy towards the problems that Winthrop students face while being on campus.
How can students trust that the faculty and staff won’t ignore, manipulate or prey on them when previous incidents demonstrate a pattern of cynical skepticism and disbelief towards stories from abused students?
The story sparked valid criticisms of a flawed investigation process that is not exclusive to Winthrop, and Phillips and Marindin are not the only students who have endured this faulty process. Winthrop officials should look at how they handle these allegations, and even if they are doing things ‘by the book,’ we should be asking: Is this enough?
Responses like these only discourage victims from coming forward. Such responses also perpetuate a toxic culture of silencing survivors. As a university that requires students to complete “Not Anymore,” Winthrop needs to make students who speak up about assault a priority.
