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The purpose of college is not solely to learn a skill set to be used in the workforce. College is also about growing up, expanding one’s views, learning about new ideas and philosophies, and adapting to a new environment and different people. In order to do these things, there needs to be a sense of trust and safety among peers, professors, and throughout the entirety of campus. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sexual assault in college is an under-discussed problem in America and New York. The consequences are far-reaching, often permeating through every fiber, every aspect of the victim’s life. If you or a loved one has been the victim of sexual assault at a college campus, please get in touch with an experienced New York sexual assault attorney as soon as possible.
Financial and School Struggles Following Sexual Assault
Title IX requires that all students receive equal educational opportunities, regardless of gender. Under title IX, colleges are required to provide survivors of gender-based violence, such as sexual assault, tools and services to help them continue their education to the highest extent. Schools are obligated to provide tutors to help keep the victim on academic track; mental health workers to help them process and get through the life-changing event; and, when necessary, dormitory changes so that the victim does not have to interact with the abuser. Schools are required to do this even if the victim does not pursue criminal charges against the offender.
However, despite these obligations of the school, many victims of sexual abuse struggle with their school work and, later, finances if they incurred debt from taking longer than they originally planned. In fact, dropping out of school altogether is not uncommon after a traumatic event such as sexual assault. Despite the law requiring them to, many schools fail to provide the necessary services and support that these victims need in order to cope with the trauma they have been put through. Often, students, and their parents, are forced to take matters into their own hands, spending thousands on off-campus housing, thousands on counseling, and thousands more on tutors and the cost of retaking failed classes because they were unable to study properly under the stress of the assault. Victims may have to take out additional student loans and rack up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional debt.
Princeton Put Under Pressure in 2014
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights declared that the way Princeton University has handled sexual assault in the past violated anti-discrimination laws by failing to provide the services Title IX requires them to undertake in sexual assault cases. Therefore, Princeton was forced to reimburse victims for their mistreatment. It was a step in the right direction and helped reveal the financial burden that is put on the victims of rape and other sexual assaults in college. If you or a loved one have been the victim of sexual assault in or out of college, contact the law offices of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC today at 212-397-1000 to discuss your legal options with an experienced New York sexual assault attorney.