Skidmore College Sexual Assault Survivors Urge Administrators to Listen

Students staged a protest at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY last month, demonstrating their frustrations with the school about the way sexual assault claims are handled. The students voiced that they have been met with indifference and hostility when reporting incidents of sexual violence, and want that response to change.

The protest appears to have sprung after Skidmore banned a female student from campus for voicing her sexual violence experiences online. After the suspension, more students united in their dissatisfaction with the administration’s response, taking to social media to anonymously share their stories of sexual assault with the Skidmore community. By operating anonymously, survivors of sexual violence have let their voice and story be heard without risking their ability to continue their education.  One of the students posts, “Little has been done, and I fear retaliation from the college.”