Sexual Assault Claim Stuns Small Campus

A small campus in northern Wisconsin is trying to come to terms with an alleged sexual assault over the weekend. However, even if everyone thought, “It can’t happen here,” the college was ready to respond.

It has been three years since a crime was reported at Northland College, and that was a motor vehicle theft. This campus of 600 students on Lake Superior in Ashland is a safe place. On Friday night, a student says she was sexually assaulted. Northland College Student Association President Madeline Jarvis says students are still processing it. “So we are all still trying to get our bearings and support each other through this rough time.”

Without giving details, President Mike Miller says even though the alleged offender is still at large, students are safe. They immediately focused on the victim.

Student Affairs Vice President Michele Meyer says sexual assault can happen anywhere, and they give a heads up to incoming students. “If they can see there’s less people, it’s easy to make the assumption that it’s a safe place. We really talk with students about what are the things that can make it safer: Using our campus escort service, making sure you’re walking with friends, keeping your room and your vehicle locked.”

Meyer says the Penn State sexual assault scandal has brought more awareness. “When you increase that awareness, it provides an educational component and it lets people know these are the kind of situations you need to bring to somebody’s attention, so that maybe the thing that happened to you, doesn’t happen to anybody else.”

Student President Jarvis says the Penn State case is a lesson to everyone, including perhaps, the victim. “We really do commend the student on the student’s bravery. It’s not always an easy thing to speak up when you have been wronged, especially in a small community.”

College officials say the suspect was not a stranger to the victim.