A University of North Florida student who was sexually assaulted will graduate Friday alongside the man they say assaulted them in their dorm room two years ago, UNF Spinnaker reported.
The student told Spinnaker that when they found out months ago that they were set to graduate in the same ceremony as their assaulter, they asked the university if he could be prevented from walking.
A university investigation of the 2021 assault found the student’s assaulter responsible for sexual harassment and sexual assault, in violation of the university’s code of conduct, according to a written determination from UNF’s dean of students that the survivor supplied to Spinnaker.
No criminal charges were filed against the assaulter, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Spinnaker.
The assault occurred during the survivor’s freshman year, and the student told Spinnaker they had been dating the man online for about two months, but the night of the assault in 2021 was the first time the two met in person.
The student told investigators they were assaulted multiple times that night, and the man admitted to investigators that he fondled and sexually harassed the student.
According to Spinnaker, the written determination from the dean said an educational response was appropriate and that the man would be required to complete a consent course and reflective essay.
Now, years later, the student was faced with the idea of possibly coming face-to-face with their assaulter during their graduation ceremony.
The student told Spinnaker they were stonewalled for months over their request for accommodations, and they even resorted to calling the university president’s office about the issue.
Less than 48 hours before they were expecting to walk, the university called the student to say the assaulter would still walk in their ceremony, but that the survivor would be granted other accommodations.
“It’s crazy that I had to call the President’s Office to get this, and that it could be fixed this quickly,” the student told Spinnaker.
The survivor told Spinnaker it makes them feel invisible that someone could be found responsible for sexual assault Code of Conduct violations and still be allowed on campus.
“(I feel) like my fighting was useless,” they said. “That I put in all this work to try to get even the tiniest bit of justice.”
For the full story, including a statement from the university, visit unfspinnaker.com.
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