Preventing Sexual Assault: On UMD’s Campus and Beyond
By Jackie DiBartolomeo
December 15, 2021
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hailey Chaikin. Photo by Julia Nikhinson for The Diamondback
The University of Maryland fraternity chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) has recently come under fire after allegations of sexual assault against one of their members surfaced in September. The Delta Psi Chapter of the fraternity was placed on suspended recognition in October following these allegations, as well as being served a cease and desist by UMD’s Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Many believe not enough is being done to support survivors of sexual assault on campus.
Preventing Sexual Assault (PSA) is the only organization on UMD’s campus dedicated to protecting and uplifiting survivors of sexual assault and being a voice for students in matters related to Title IX and power-based violence, said PSA Co-President Hailey Chaikin. PSA was formed in 2015 by a UMD student after she was assaulted the year prior, to give a support system to other students who were victims of sexual assault.
“Most of what we do is influenced by the fact that survivors deserve to be heard and protected on their campus, as well as the notion that oftentimes students at UMD want a space to talk about power-based violence but don’t know how or where to start the conversation,” Chaikin said.
The allegations made against Pi Kappa Alpha prompted a bigger turnout than ever at PSA’s annual Slut Walk on October 22. Over 200 students gathered on McKeldin Mall to protest sexual assault on campus.
“Slut Walk is an event where we aim to show survivors they are seen and illustrate to our administration that we are paying attention,” Chaikin said.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hailey Chaikin. Photo by Julia Nikhinson for The Diamondback
PSA does not support nor denounce the abolishment of Greek life on campus, having members of their community both within and outside of Greek life. The organization is currently meeting with the administration to create a list of policies to make fraternities on UMD’s campus a safer place, Chaikin said.
PSA’s neutral take on the Abolish Greek Life movement is not unanimous on UMD’s campus.
One outspoken voice that has been making the rounds is Lucy Taylor. A UMD alumna, Taylor made waves with her ‘SNAPPED’ podcast, released in mid-2020. The podcast details Taylor’s experience with Greek life at UMD, leading up to a sexual assault that occurred during her sophomore year.
The penultimate episode of the six-part series, titled ‘ABOLISH’, discusses Taylor’s feelings about doing away with Greek life on campus.
“What is it going to take for you to abolish Greek life? How many people need to be raped? Who needs to die for you to take these organizations off of our college campus?” Taylor questioned.
After the success of the first season of ‘SNAPPED’, Taylor is currently working on a second season that features students who have also had negative experiences with Greek life.
The controversy around Greek life is not attributed to UMD alone. Schools across the Big Ten Conference find themselves on the receiving end of a reckoning.
Purdue University has recently faced criticism after an uptick of sexual assault reports on their campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Four of these sexual assault reports occurred at fraternity houses or on David Ross Road, a street with houses for Greek life, according to Purdue University police records.
The Feminist Action Coalition of Today (FACT) at Purdue met in October for a discussion on how to move forward in the wake of increased reports, according to ThePurdue Exponent. Opinions varied, with some calling to abolish Greek life completely, while others wanted to see new policies created to help sexual assault survivors universally, both in Greek life and out of it.
#METOO Purdue, an organization similar to PSA, organized their own walk on October 19 in support of sexual assault survivors on campus.
Fellow Big Ten school Indiana University has been facing allegations of their own on their Bloomington campus. A rape was reported at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house on October 31, according to Indiana University police records. Following these allegations, the university suspended fraternity parties indefinitely.
Stories like these are not rare in the Big Ten. In August of 2020, the University of Michigan Multicultural Greek Council released a statement following increased allegations of sexual assault against Greek life members. In August of this year, the University of Nebraska’s Phi Gamma Delta chapter was suspended for an alleged rape of a minor that occurred on the first day of classes. In September, Northwestern University cancelled fraternity events after students reported being drugged at several fraternity houses.
These incidents have a statistical basis, too. Numerous studies have shown that fraternity men are three times more likely to rape than other college men. Another study shows that only 20% of female college students (ages 18-24) who are victims of sexual assault report it to the police. And every 21 hours, a woman is raped on a college campus.
In October, University of Maryland President Darryll Pines was asked by The Diamondback about his views on sexual assault and Greek life on campus, to which he replied, “I don’t think we have a big problem here in Greek life.”