Kaelen Thomas, president of the Student Government Association, implements measures to draw awareness to sexual assault at Georgia State University in a letter to the student body on June 3.
The statement comes after multiple students came forward on social media with allegations and evidence regarding experiences of sexual assault on campus.
“Let me start by saying this – I will not tolerate any act of sexual assault including but not limited to harassment and misconduct towards students at Georgia State University,” Thomas says in the letter. “I was sick to my stomach when I learned about what has happened to multiple members of our community.”
The statement announces an independent investigation, directed by a third-party outside of SGA. The investigation will look for sexual assault allegations within university clubs and organizations, residence hall facilities, faculty, staff and other portions of student life.
Additionally, Thomas says members of SGA will undergo Title IX and Sexual Assault Awareness training ahead of their return in the fall.
“Student Government Officers have had Title IX training in the past, but Sexual Assault Awareness training is something new that we will be tacking on this year,” Thomas tells PRN.
SGA also plans to launch a campaign with the International Human Trafficking Institute to educate the university on sex and human trafficking and how to protect students from predators. The campaign has been in the works since early May, according to Thomas.
In May, Betsy DeVos, secretary of education, announced new guidelines for how universities and schools should treat sexual assault and misconduct complaints. The changes, set to begin on Aug. 14, include protections for alleged student perpetrators and the right to obtain all evidence gathered against them.
Note: This article has been updated with the removal of a quote to ensure the privacy of the investigator. This article was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
