TU takes on sexual violence
By: Cody Boteler, Editor-in-Chief
Kailah Carden is a relatively new hire at Towson charged with preventing sexual violence on campus by educating Towson students. Her role includes coordinating different departments and events to meet that charge.
“Educating students on sexual violence prevention has been going on, but it’s never been coordinated like this,” Carden said.
Carden, who’s Towson’s first sexual violence prevention educator, was hired over the summer. Since then, she’s trained or provided training to over 7,000 students in how to prevent sexual assault and sexual violence.
Towson recently launched a new campaign, “X Out Sexual Violence,” to stamp out sexual assault on campus. The campaign’s main webpage has a link to report sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator and other resources for victims of sexual violence.
Title IX refers to the 1972 law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs. Since the law was passed, it has been interpreted to include sexual assault and harassment as forms of discrimination. According to data collected by the TU Police Department, Towson had 12 confirmed on-campus cases of rape or forced fondling between 2012-2014.
Seven confirmed cases of dating violence and seven confirmed cases of stalking were reported between 2013-2014. Numbers for dating violence and stalking weren’t recorded in the same way as other crimes were before 2013.
Per a memorandum of understanding between TUPD and the Baltimore County Police Department, BCPD investigates first- and second- degree rape and sexual offenses.
“All other sex offenses, dating violence and stalking are investigated by the Towson University Police Department,” Deputy Chief of Police Joe Herring said in an email.
The Student Government Association will be getting a Title IX training at their meeting Tuesday. On Friday, Sept. 23, there will be a Title IX training open to all students in the Health Center at noon.
