New bill aims to thwart sex assaults on campuses, encourage reporting incidents

Under the proposal, any student who reports a sexual assault could not be punished because they were drinking before the incident.

News 12 Staff

Feb 13, 2020, 10:18 PM

Updated 1,526 days ago

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The state Higher Education Committee is considering a bill that would do more to prevent sexual assaults on college campuses.
Under the proposal, any student who reports a sexual assault could not be punished because they were drinking before the incident.
It also requires a "sexual misconduct climate survey" every two years on all campuses.
The committee will decide whether to advance it to the full state Senate in the coming weeks.
John Gabrieli, of the Every Voice Coalition, says the bill is a step in the right direction.
"When 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted before graduating college, the status quo is not acceptable," says Gabrieli.
Some say prevention needs to start before college.
"I think that all high schools should have mandatory education regarding sexual assault and comprehensive sex ed that includes consent education," says Nora Gallo, of Every Voice Coalition.
Many high schools do incorporate explicit sexual consent into their curriculum now.
 


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