After experiencing a sexual assault at the hands of a classmate, I reported my experience to my university —  hoping for support, hoping to be kept safe, hoping to be believed.

 

I was just a 19-year-old kid, thousands of miles away from home, terribly traumatized by what had happened and living in fear as I was unable to get away from my perpetrator seeing as we were in class together every day. So I did what any scared kid would do, and I went to the “grown-ups.”

 

Little did I know just how badly universities are equipped to handle this abuse that is so common on campuses all across the country, and how far they are willing to go to brush sexual misconduct under the rug for the sake of their own reputation.

 

Well, after being dragged through their system, taken out of projects I was meant to be graded on, and publicly called a liar by the head of the program, I had no other option but to drop out of university.

 

But the fight wasn’t over.

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For the past 5 years, I’ve been pursuing a legal case against my university for their negligence in handling my case. It will be the first case of its kind to go to trial in the UK and will determine what legal duty of care universities have in dealing with cases of sexual misconduct.

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And after a 5-year long fight, hundred of thousands of pounds in legal fees, not to mention the emotional toll it takes to fight an institution, we can finally say: we did it. It was David and Goliath, and the good guys won.

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On this journey, I’ve spoken to hundreds of survivors all across the US and UK, and it’s clear that something needs to be done. To support survivors, to make education safe and accessible for all, we need reform at every level to create a brighter future in our higher education institutions.

 

Thank you to all of you who have supported me on this journey — it’s been crazier than I could have ever imagined. Let’s keep up the good work. Here’s to the next chapter! ✨