SUNY Officials to Address Campus Sexual Assault

On the heels of California, which just passed a so-called “affirmative consent” law, the board of the State University of New York voted Thursday to establish a system-wide uniform definition a student can use to make clear whether she – or he – is consenting to sexual activity.

At the urging of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the SUNY board voted unanimously to create a set of practices to prevent and address rape on campus.

The decision comes as higher education institutions across the country grapple with sexual assaults on students, many of which go unreported, and allegations that campus authorities failed to protect victims.

Under the resolution adopted by SUNY’s board in a special meeting attended by Cuomo, the plan will call for sensitivity training for staff; amnesty for students who witness a sexual assault, but fear coming forward because they were involved in some improper activity at the time – such as underage drinking; and the launch of a public awareness campaign that makes students aware of their rights.

Cuomo, who attended the meeting, said the resolution also gives a student the option of contacting local, campus or state police. He said, traditionally, schools have improperly treated the cases as internal matters.

“The school doesn’t want the publicity. It’s not a positive in any situation,” he said. “I understand the motivation to handle it as an internal matter, but rape is a crime.”

Cuomo, who is seeking re-election in November, named former sex crimes prosecutor Linda Fairstein to oversee the effort.

Cuomo said the plans go into effect in all 64 schools SUNY schools in 60 days. He said once the kinks are worked out, he hopes it would become a law for all higher education institutions in the state.