Alpha Phi has become the first national sorority to refuse to back a controversial new bill, the Safe Campus Act, intended to combat sexual assault on campus.
The move comes as sexual assault survivors’ groups are clashing with the national umbrella organizations that advocate for fraternities and sororities over competing measures to tackle campus rape currently in Congress. Most major fraternity and sorority groups, including the National Panhellenic Conference, support the Safe Campus Act.
But 200 rape survivor groups have denounced this act and called on fraternities and sororities – college men’s and women’s social societies named after Greek letters – to voice their opposition. On Thursday, Alpha Phi became the first major sorority to raise concerns.
The Safe Campus Act – proposed by three Republican representatives, Pete Sessions and Kay Granger of Texas, and Matt Salmon of Arizona – would prohibit colleges from acting on reports of rape until the student bringing the complaint made a report to law enforcement.
Critics say the bill would hamper efforts to immediately safeguard students who have been victims of assault. Sexual assault victims, critics add, are often too afraid or traumatized to involve the police in what can be a lengthy and invasive criminal investigation.
Without expressing outright opposition to the Safe Campus Act, Alpha Phi echoed these concerns.
“We believe our sisters who are survivors should have choices in how, when and to whom they go to for support or to report the crime,” Alpha Phi said in a letter seen by the Huffington Post. “They should have their own voice and the support and encouragement they need to move forward including reporting as they choose to.
“We believe universities should remain accountable for the safety of their campuses, and should continue to raise the bar to ensure that they report and respond to crimes and keep students safe. Their ability to do so should not be diminished,” the letter continued. “Alpha Phi has not endorsed this legislation and has not committed to any financial support.”
Most major survivors’ groups, such as the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, support an earlier bill, the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, proposed last year by Democratic senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
The Republican representatives proposed the Safe Campus Act this summer as a rival option.
McCaskill and Gillibrand’s Campus Accountability and Safety Act would require sexual assault training for campus officials, standardized investigation and punishment, and increased resources for victims of assault. The bill would also stiffen fines for colleges found to violate the federal requirement for reporting sexual crimes. It is expected to appear before Congress as part of the education budget this fall.
In recent weeks, McCaskill and Gillibrand panned the Campus Safety Act and encouraged dues-paying sorority and fraternity chapters to oppose the legislation, which is at a much earlier legislative stage than their own bill.
“I would be very upset if I were a young woman in a sorority today,” McCaskill said.
