*Note: Carolina Week has chosen to keep sources anonymous to respect the privacy of the affected individuals*
CHAPEL HILL, NC – The mother of a student who was sexually assaulted in Carmichael Residence Hall last month is fighting for change at UNC.
It was still sunny out on Oct. 22 during the university’s Fall Break when, according to UNC Police, a stranger followed a student to his dorm and sexually assaulted him.
Shortly after, UNC Police began investigating the assault. However, they were unable to identify a suspect. The survivor’s mother was in disbelief.
“There’s no cameras,” she said. “So there is absolutely no opportunity for us to try to identify this person, and that was really shocking to me.”
She was also shocked that it took police nearly five hours to notify students of the assault via Alert Carolina. She said she and her son got the alert while at the hospital.
“Just shaking kind of our heads because, you know, because it just, it just made no sense, it made no sense,” she said.
Now, she’s sharing her son’s story and pushing for change. She started a petition that’s garnered nearly 4,000 to get cameras installed outside of dorms, single-door entries to residence halls, a third-party review of UNC’s safety procedures, and timely alert notifications.
“These are basic things,” she said.
She expressed her concerns to university administrators, but the response, she said, has been disappointing, especially one from the Vice Chancellor of Institutional Integrity and Risk Management that stated:
“Your note has been received by a number of leaders who take your concerns and suggestions seriously. I have also confirmed that our police chief and members of our Human Resources/Equal Opportunity and Compliance as well as Student Affairs teams have been in direct contact with you and your family members to discuss your concerns and offer available resources and support to your student. Thank you for your input and valuable feedback.”
The mother said the response made things worse.
“It was completely impersonal. It was not apologetic,” she said. “It was so insulting, frankly, and it just kind of added insult to injury on top of everything.”
Nonetheless, she and other parents haven’t backed down. They’ve continued to sign the petition and have started letter-writing campaigns to university leaders.
In an emailed statement, the university said it is aware of the mother’s demands.
“We can confirm that a letter from the survivor’s mother has been received by a number of UNC-Chapel Hill leaders. Safety is a top priority on our campus, and these concerns are being taken seriously.”
The mother said it’s been hard, but her love for her son keeps her motivated.
“He immediately said he can’t imagine anyone going through this and just doesn’t want it to happen again to anyone.”