Ahead of Thursday's Campus Sexual Assault Roundtable, Norton Introduces Resolution to Designate September as "National Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month"
Press Release
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a congressional resolution to designate September as "National Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month." Norton said designating September, a month when most students return to campus, as National Campus Assault Awareness Month would provide a timely opportunity for colleges and universities to give specific attention to eliminating campus sexual assault. Tomorrow, April 23, Norton will sit with administrators from three major District of Columbia universities at a roundtable, entitled "Combating Sexual Assault on Campus: A Search for Realistic Remedies," at American University Ward 1 Auditorium (4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW), from 6:00 p.m. -- 8:00 p.m. in an effort to eliminate the causes of campus sexual assault and help find solutions. The goal of the roundtable is to help colleges and universities in the District develop solutions specific enough to prevent campus sexual assault. The panel sitting with Norton will consist of Title IX coordinators from American University, George Washington University, and Howard University, who will hear the concerns and recommendations of local university students and advocacy groups.
"Nowhere in our society is sexual assault as prevalent as it is on college campuses, and nowhere should such conduct be least expected," Norton said. "One of the main challenges of combating campus sexual assault is honest discussion about the reasons sexual assault has found a place on university campuses and what to do about it. We appreciate that April has been designated National Sexual Awareness Month by President Obama. However, because college campuses have become a nationwide focal point of sexual assaults, designating September as National Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month would provide a high profile and timely platform for university administrations, students, faculty, and the Americans public to address campus sexual assault. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution."
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