UNC Rape Victim Facing Expulsion After 'Intimidating' Alleged Perpetrator
A student at the University of North Carolina is facing possible explosion after she was alleged to have been "intimidating" her suspected rapist. She took the matter public when school officials failed to properly handle that situation.
This came about after Landen Gambill, a sophomore at the school, became the fifth member of a group who filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The complaint came on behalf of 64 other sexual assault survivors against the university.
The complaint alleges that university officials used backhanded tactics to pressure students who came forward not to report instances of sexual abuse. Furthermore, the university is being accused of underreporting such cases, which is a clear violation of the Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights.
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Shortly after the complaint was filed, Gambill was sent a written warning that she may have violated the school's Honor Code by displaying "disruptive or intimidating behavior," according to Jezebel.com.
Her behavior was supposedly aimed at her alleged rapist, which she has never publically identified, and her possible punishment could be one of a number of outcomes. Expulsion, suspension, and community service are all options should the UNC Honor Court find her in the wrong.
"Obviously, I'm afraid. I never meant to make anyone mad at me [by speaking out]," Gambill told the Huffington Post. "I'm mostly surprised at just how crazy it is, that they're willing to charge me with something just because my rapist is feeling uncomfortable."
UNC spokesperson Susan Hudson said that the move is in no way related to any retaliatory action by the university and could not comment further about the case due to federal privacy laws.
"Student attorneys general have the discretion to choose which cases should be considered by the court," Hudson read in a statement.
"Given that these charging decisions are made by student attorneys general and not by campus administrators, a claim of retaliation by the university would be without merit," Hudson said.
