SUNY students' voices on sexual harassment and assault not being heard?

“You can go to any district attorney’s office in the state, the U.S. Attorney — there is a crime victim advocate component that exists within the law enforcement community and they exist because we want to make sure that victims are properly cared for,” Soares, a Democrat, continued. “In this instance, there’s nothing that I’ve read to determine that the people who were most impacted by this behavior had ever been delivered or provided any kind of victim advocacy or services to even inform them of their very right to venture outside of this building to obtain relief. That’s problematic and that needs to be re-evaluated.”

Vielkind, Jimmy. "Soares: Harassment victims should come to me, not Assembly." Albany Times Union. May 16, 2013. http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/187223/soares-harassment-victims-should-come-to-not-assembly/

Pshaw!

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From: Christopher Philippo

Subject: SUNY students' voices on sexual harassment and assault not being heard?

Date: December 5, 2012 12:21:33 PM EST

To: Michael Conners , Craig Apple , Tricia George , Bernard Amador

On Dec 4, 2012, at 11:24 AM, Christopher Philippo wrote:

The article by Crowley that I'd quoted earlier also had the following:

Rachel McEneny, said the office's sexual assault team is on call 24 hours, seven days a week and is eager to assist in an investigation, regardless of whether an arrest has been made.

"Our special victims unit has investigators, victim's advocates and attorneys that go away for sexual assault training all over the country," McEneny said. "We know how to interview and investigate the crime scene. It's a good service."

But police agencies are not required to contact them, she said.

"If young women at SUNY Albany feel that their voices haven't been heard, they should call the district attorney's office," McEneny said.

Crowley, Cathleen F. "Handling of rape case defended; UAlbany police chief says officers followed protocol in dealing with alleged assault." Albany Times Union. October 26, 2006: A1. http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6365244

UAlbany defines sexual assault as including sexual harassment. I don't know if retaliation for having reported sexual assault is classified as a form of sexual assault also, but it seems like at least quid pro quo sexual harassment might. Is the offer for assistance from the district attorney's office only open to young women, and not older women, or men of any age? My voice hasn't been heard yet. Is the DA's office unwilling to help regarding anything other than sexual assault, like firearms violations?

I had worried I might be discriminated against, particularly on the basis of my age, gender, disabilities. I hope perhaps you're just so swamped by communication from so many people on so many issues that you haven't been able to get to mine yet, and I realize my e-mails are probably longer than the majority of e-mails you receive. If you're finding my writing difficult to follow, let me know where you're having difficulties with it.

UAlbany's hardly unique in its problems. Look at Binghamton's 2010 athletics scandal, one of the worst aspects of which was a BU athlete putting a BU student into a coma and then fleeing the US while on bail:

Schapiro, Rich. "Bryan Steinhauer reclaims life following brutal 2008 assault by Serbian athlete Miladin Kovacevic." N.Y. Daily News. October 3, 2010. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-03/local/27077052_1_cpa-exam-miladin-kovacevic-assault-charges

Read the Kaye Report about Binghamton http://www.suny.edu/Files/sunynewsFiles/Pdf/KayeReport.PDF - it doesn't seem like many recommendations in it have been followed. Look at what even police union officials in New York have stated about SUNY police in recent years:

James Lyman, Executive Director for Council 82, the New York State Law Enforcement Union, said he is "amazed and appalled" at the mismanagement at SUNY and says he is dissatisfied with SUNY's underreporting of crime, lack of manual of procedures and its being a "dumping ground for political patronage."

Pete Barry, executive vice president of the SUNY police officers union, says that 28 different sets of regulations and standards of police philosophies, create a lack of direction as to how police should respond to particular incidents.

Unqualified management is another concern of Barry's.

"Many campuses have appointed people with no law enforcement experience," Barry said.

"It is puzzling to look at the varying degrees of compensation packages. An assistant chief of one campus makes 30,000 more than another and has less officers," Barry said of the high salary levels.

Barry agreed with Lyman's assertion of erroneous reporting, saying that in 2007, the New York state comptroller reported that crime statistics conflicted with university police records.

Quinlan, Casey Leigh. "SUNY spending under the microscope; Other agencies will be examined also." Legislative Gazette. March 22, 2010. http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2010-03-22-66179.113122-SUNY-spending-under-the-microscope.html

"We've gotten nowhere with SUNY Central," Dan DeFedericis, executive director of the PBA of New York State said. The complaint from last year alleges that Brockport administrators failed to follow the Clery Act.

Karlin, Rick. "Union cites SUNY safety issues." Albany Times Union. October 4, 2012. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Union-cites-SUNY-safety-issues-3917683.php

To what law enforcement agency may I report problems at UAlbany that include even J. "Frank" Wiley, Christine A. Bouchard (to whom Mr. Wiley reports within the Office of Student Success), and George M. Philip? According to the SUNY Police Manual § 5.01 http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=364 "The campus President, as the chief administrative officer, has the authority and responsibility for operation and security of the campus." The manual gives no indication that I can see what law enforcement agency it is to which people may report grievances or possible crimes involving the chief and/or the president of the university.

Thank you for any help you can provide,

Christopher Korey Philippo

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"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" whistleblower protection:

"The statute now includes language specifically protecting whistleblowers who report violations of the Clery Act. This section is effective immediately" (2).

Storch, Joseph. "2008 Changes to Clery Act Reporting Requirements." September 2, 2008. SUNY.edu. http://www.suny.edu/govtRelations/federal/pdf/2008-68%20Guidance%20on%202008%20Changes%20to%20Clery%20Act%20Reporting%20Requirements.pdf

"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f) (17)

"Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit an institution, or an officer, employee, or agent of an institution, participating in any program under this subchapter and part C of subchapter I of chapter 34 of title 42 to retaliate, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the implementation of any provision of this subsection."

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