Alums Seek More Accountability

An alumni advocacy group has expressed disappointment with the College’s response to the $70-million sexual assault lawsuit filed by seven alumni and students last November. At a late January meeting with President Phil Hanlon ’77, the group’s representatives sought campus reforms beyond what the administration announced earlier in the month.

Dartmouth Community Against Gender Harassment & Sexual Violence (DCGHSV), a group of approximately 70 members, seeks to “end sexual violence and gender harassment at Dartmouth” and “the institutional culture that facilitates these abuses,” according to spokesperson Diana Whitney ’95.

DCGHSV released a letter, signed by more than 800 people, stating that it stands with the plaintiffs. Later it declared deep disappointment with the College’s legal response to the suit: “Dartmouth College has forgone the opportunity to begin making amends, and has instead taken an aggressive stance towards those it claims to protect. The College’s response to the lawsuit reinforces our commitment to helping build a new campus culture of transparency and advocacy.”

The alumni group has had several communications with Hanlon, who requested a one-hour meeting that was held January 25. Also in attendance were trustees S. Caroline Kerr ’05 and Emily Bakemeier ’82, board chair Laurel Richie ’81, provost Joe Helble, dean of the faculty Elizabeth Smith, and dean of the grad school Jon Kull ’88. Representing DCGHSV were Whitney and two grad students—Jennifer Ditano, Adv’20, and Itzel Rojas, Adv’17. At the meeting the alumni advocates made two new demands: that the College put the psychological and brain sciences department (PBS) into “receivership” and replace its leadership with an outside administrator (three former professors named in the lawsuit taught there) and hire more senior faculty women. They also repeated the group’s requests for the hiring of a campus ombudsman, better sexual harassment training for College employees, and more transparency.

Dartmouth’s office of communications released its own statement following the meeting: “We were pleased to note that there is much overlap between the action steps launched as part of the Campus Climate and Culture Initiative, announced January 3, and the recommendations proposed by DCGHSV.” It noted that the College is undertaking “departmental climate reviews” that include PBS.

Whitney notes that while she’s in favor of the reviews, they fall short of the “institutional accountability” DCGHSV seeks.

DCGHSV has established a presence on Instagram (@DartmouthSpeaks) and Facebook (@DartmouthCommunityAgainstSV) The former seeks to publish user-submitted stories from those in the Dartmouth community who have faced gender harassment or sexual violence. “As a survivor myself, I’ve been empowered by writing and sharing my own Dartmouth story of sexual assault followed by decades of shame and silence,” says Whitney. “There is strength that comes from knowing you are not alone, from sharing the burden of the past and moving forward, together, to transform trauma into advocacy.”

The women who filed the suit—Sasha Brietzke, Adv’21, Annemarie Brown, Adv’16, Vassiki Chauhan, Adv’20, Andrea Courtney, Adv’18, Marissa Evans T8, Kristina Rapuano, Adv’18, and one who is anonymous—claim College officials knew about professorial misconduct over a 16-year period and failed to protect them while allowing a “party culture” to exist in PBS that was harmful to women. Three professors named in the suit—Todd Heatherton, Bill Kelley, and Paul Whalenretired or resigned last year following an internal investigation.

In a January court filing, the College said it had no prior knowledge of the misconduct that the students reported in April 2017. “Contrary to the allegations...Dartmouth promptly conducted a rigorous and objective review,” reads a College press release. “Dartmouth will defend itself as an institution. Dartmouth will not defend the actions of these three former faculty members in court or elsewhere.” No hearing has been set. The College has declared its willingness to settle.