Amid the recent disturbing allegations involving seven fraternity brothers from Cornell University against a female classmate, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) has reintroduced a bipartisan bill to combat sexual abuse on college campuses.
“The horrifying allegations recently brought to light at Cornell University are a disturbing example of the dangers students can face and underscore the importance of strong protections, meaningful support for survivors, and accountability on college campuses,” a spokesperson for Rep. Frankel wrote.
The Campus Accountability And Safety Act
The Campus Accountability and Safety Act (CASA) would require higher-education institutions to include campus safety policies, instructions for filing a complaint, and statistics of on-campus sexual allegations on their websites.
The bill also aims to establish sexual and interpersonal violence specialists at each institution to serve as confidential aides for victims.
In addition, the legislation would broaden the Violence Against Women Act Campus Grant Program further to improve its ability to address sexual abuse and dating violence on campuses.
The "Cornell 7" Gang Rape Case
Congresswoman Frankel’s effort comes weeks after an anonymous former Cornell student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was gang raped by seven men from the school’s Chi Phi Fraternity.
The university’s Cornell Daily Sun first reported the story, and it immediately drew widespread national outrage and political attention.
According to the suit, the plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, alleged that she was coerced into performing sex with the seven men while under the influence and pressured into consuming ketamine and marijuana prior to and during the course of events.
Doe reported the incident to university police three weeks later, leading to temporary suspensions of the fraternity members.
The defendants, however, did not face severe consequences; instead, the university allowed them a chance to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
CASA's Origins
CASA was originally introduced and co-sponsored by then-Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in July 2014.
The bill has been reintroduced several times since, but has failed to reach the floor for a vote in either chamber.
