Citing USDE list, group buys ads claiming KU has a ‘rape problem’
A national women’s rights group is funding online ads warning prospective Kansas University students that the university has a “rape problem.”
KU representatives say the group’s basis for the imputation is questionable.
KU is one of 10 schools nationwide that the ad campaign will mention by name, according to UltraViolet, a group that describes its mission as fighting sexism and expanding women’s rights.
The campaign’s ultimate goal, according to UltraViolet, is pressuring Princeton Review rankings to include information on campuses’ “sexual assault track records” and, thus, motivate all schools to better address the issue. UltraViolet began petitioning Princeton Review to do so last year.
The ads picture a woman holding a letter bearing the KU logo and saying, “Applying to University of Kansas? You should know about its rape problem,” according to proofs provided by UltraViolet. The ad invites viewers to click to learn more.
UltraViolet is basing its “rape problem” label on the list of postsecondary schools the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating for their handling of one or more sexual violence cases.
The list, which has 95 schools on it as of this week, indicates that an investigation involving KU was launched in July. The Office for Civil Rights will not disclose details and has yet to rule whether KU erred.
Citing statistics indicating campus rape is vastly under-reported, UltraViolet Campaign Director Kaili Lambe said the pending Office for Civil Rights investigation is enough to advertise that KU has a “rape problem.”
Though, she said the problem is not unique to KU.
“We’re targeting schools with known issues, but of course problems are happening across the country,” she said.
KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said that UltraViolet’s apparent lack of information about KU “beyond the fact it is on a list of nearly 100 other institutions” didn’t bode well for the accuracy of its advertising.
Yet, she said, the general topic of sexual assault is important to address.
“Sexual assault is a national issue, and it’s no secret that the KU community is a loud voice in the conversation,” Barcomb-Peterson said in a statement. “Students, faculty and administrators at KU are actively engaged in preventing and responding to sexual assault, and we welcome anyone who wants to be a constructive part of this effort. We’ll leave it to others to determine whether ads such as these qualify as constructive.”
The ads are online now and target students applying for fall admission, Lambe said. She said they should appear to Internet users age 17 to 25 whose search history includes keywords such as admissions or applications.
Lambe said UltraViolet wants Princeton Review to indicate on schools’ profiles whether they are under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights. She said UltraViolet also wants Princeton Review to include in its student surveys questions about how schools respond to sexual assault reports and what resources are available.
Princeton Review representatives did not return a message seeking comment Friday. However, its website includes a section on safety that explains schools’ legal requirements to provide information on campus crimes, as well as other resources for researching campus safety.