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Emma Hodgson says she had little support when she reported being raped in high school about five years ago.
People were mean, she says, and many of her classmates in Wyoming hated her. That's why she says it's so important that students at Westminster College, and campuses across Utah, change the way they respond to sexual assault.
"The real problem is people don't talk about it; it's too taboo," Hodgson, 19, said. Rape and sexual assault "are not OK; how much it happens does not make it OK."
Hodgson, a sophomore at Westminster studying psychology, was among a number of students who signed a pledge Monday to "start by believing" sexual-assault survivors. A week of campus events are planned as part of the Start By Believing campaign, which is geared toward changing the way communities respond to rape and sexual assault.
"This campaign is a call to action for more than just legislators, policymakers and law enforcement," said Tiffany Perry, president of the Tipping Point, a student club that raises awareness about sexual-assault issues and organized the events. "This is a call to action to every student, friend and member of the community that when someone discloses to you that they have been sexually assaulted, that you will support them."
The campaign comes nearly two years after the federal government began investigating the private Salt Lake City liberal arts school for its handling of a 2013 sexual-assault complaint.
Under Title IX, which bars sex discrimination on campus, every university and college that receives money from the federal government is tasked with investigating and resolving complaints of sexual violence.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights jump-started its Westminster investigation in January 2015. The office has said it aims to resolve complaints in 180 days, but it can take longer, depending on the case.
Perry said this week's events have "nothing to do" with the federal inquiry, but noted the investigation shows the importance of changing this culture.
"When victims go to an institution or to a faculty member or someone, they shouldn't be getting a response that's, 'Oh, that didn't happen to you,' or, 'Well, we're not going to report that because it was an athlete,' " she said. "They should be expecting to have a supportive response and feel that they are in a safe space where they can report what has happened to them."
Westminster is one of three Utah higher education institutions being investigated by the federal government. The other two, the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, were added to the list this summer. The department won't disclose specific details about institutions they're investigating.
As of last week, there were 275 sexual-violence cases under investigation by the office at 214 higher education institutions.
If a school is found to have violated Title IX, it usually reaches a settlement with the federal government and must show it is making new efforts to comply with the law. A school could lose its federal funding, though experts say that has never happened.
Twitter: @alexdstuckey —
Other events at Westminster College during Start by Believing week
Tuesday • A 7 p.m. workshop at the Dolores Doré Eccles Health, Wellness and Athletic Center, special events room, focused on the differences between healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships.
Wednesday • A 7 p.m. screening of "The Hunting Ground," an exposé of sexual assaults on college campuses in America, at the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium.
Thursday • A 7 p.m. panel discussion at Malouf Hall, Room 201, with DeAnn Tilton, founder of Talk to a Survivor; Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City; West Valley Police Detective Justin Boredman; Alanna Kindness, Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault executive director; and Donna Kelly, Utah attorney general's office prosecutor.