(-- The Beacon)
By Caitlin Yilek
I know what it's like to be re-victimized by the system.
I used to think our University would do everything in its power to keep us safe. That is, until I woke up one April morning with two death threats on my Facebook wall from another student.
Waking up to two profanity-laced posts saying I better watch my back because I deserved to die was not exactly how I imagined ending the school year.
I was at a loss for what I had done to make an old acquaintance have such harsh feelings towards me. Despite the occasional run in, I hadn't spoken with him since freshman year.
I went to Public Safety immediately. I showed the officers the posts, I gave them my statement and they said the student was probably drunk and upset about something. Public Safety spoke with him about the incident, and he claimed a friend used his computer and posted the threats as him.
I was not satisfied.
This is a kid who had previous alcohol violations at our University and reportedly threatened another UP student with a baseball bat.
I proved he posted the threats against me from his phone. Public Safety confronted him again. He finally admitted he did it. He had been at a party and a girl was yelling at him. Another girl told him inaccurately I was the person yelling at him. I had been sound asleep in my bed by 10 p.m. that night.
Public Safety told me they could do nothing for me except tell him not to contact me. They also said the police would not be able to help me.
This student threatened to kill me. I had all the evidence. He lied to Public Safety. What more did the University need?
The student contacted me two more times after he was told not to.
The director of Public Safety called me reassure me the student was not a threat.
I asked the director if he was 100 percent sure this student was not a threat to me whether he was drunk or sober.
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
He couldn't answer the question. He could only tell me the other student had respected me and thought we were friends.
Yeah, right.
I then received an email from the Public Safety director that was essentially a résumé of all the trainings and talks he had given regarding school shootings. This email was supposed to build my confidence in Public Safety?
Other University employees told me Public Safety was certified to deal with these types of situations. Yet, the University was doing little to protect me.
I asked the Office of Residence Life if I could be present during his disciplinary hearing and to inform me of the student's disciplinary action.
"Only if it concerns you," I was told.
How did it not concern me? He had threatened my life.
The Office of Residence Life asked if I was planning on going to the police. I said I was thinking about it.
I did call the police.
That night a Portland Police officer came to my house to get my statement. The student was arrested, charged with a misdemeanor and expelled.
I understand why students may be afraid to report crimes to the University. I felt helpless after Public Safety told me they, as well as Portland Police, could do nothing for me. Portland Police did look after me. The Multnomah County judge did too. The University could have, but I don't think they tried.
The University was more concerned with its reputation and forgot it was dealing with a student's life.
Though I was not sexually assaulted, I can only imagine how powerless a victim of sexual assault would feel if the University treated him or her as I was.
When will universities realize that turning a cold shoulder to crime is more of an embarrassment than having occasional bad press?
