Sexual assault summit feels impact of Vanderbilt trial
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – While a jury in downtown Nashville was declaring two former Vanderbilt University football students guilty of raping a fellow student, administrators from about 80 public and private colleges across Tennessee were meeting just three miles away about sexual assault on campus.
The timing was coincidental, but the verdict added a level of intensity to the summit’s PowerPoint presentations and panel discussions.
Katie High is the University of Tennessee vice president for academic affairs and student success. She said about 450 people attended the two-day meeting on the campus of Tennessee State University.
High said the Vanderbilt verdict helped attendees realize just how serious this work is. She said preliminary feedback has people already asking for more education on the issues.
