Biden to Rutgers students: We can stop sexual violence on campuses

NEW BRUNSWICK - More than 2,000 Rutgers-New Brunswick students, staff and others gathered at the New Brunswick campus Thursday when Joe Biden, the 47th vice president of the United States, urged students to take a stand against sexual assault violence and report incidents. 

"We can stop this," he said. "I am absolutely convinced we can change the culture. We must say in the strongest possible terms it won’t be tolerated." 

Biden's appearance at the event was part of the "It's On Us" campaign, which he started with President Barack Obama in 2014 after a White House task force recommended ways to prevent sexual violence on campus.

Biden spoke out in favor of the guidelines created during the Obama-era to protect victims of sexual assault on college campuses. He said he has been a strong defender of civil rights and civil procedures. 

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Last month Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced plans to scrap the Obama-era guidance, replacing it with an interim rule she says is meant to strike a more appropriate balance between those accused of sexual misdeeds and their accusers, according to reports. 

Biden said changed guidelines on sex assaults on college campuses are trying to confuse the issue.

"They didn't confuse this university," he said, adding the university's president's response was  "our commitment will not waiver."  

Biden's visit also comes on the heels of sexual allegations against film producer and Democratic Party donor Harvey Weinstein. 

Biden said Weinstein "had the power to make or break the career of a number of very talented actresses."

Weinstein "used that power in a disgusting and immoral way," he added.

He said because of the bravery of so many courageous women speaking up "this disgusting behavior at least on the part of Harvey Weinstein has been brought to an abrupt and justifiable end." 

"This man deserves more than losing his company," he added.

Rutgers recently accepted a $100,000 donation from Weinstein and his family's foundation for the university's new Gloria Steinem Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies. 

"The allegations of sexual assault and harassment of women by Harvey Weinstein are appalling and indefensible," the university said in an emailed statement. "More work is needed to advance women’s equality and the $100,000 donation by the Harvey Weinstein and the H. Weinstein Family Foundation to help fund the Gloria Steinem Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies will help those efforts. We think devoting these funds to advance women’s equality is a better use of the dollars than returning the donation to Harvey Weinstein and the H. Weinstein Family Foundation." 

Biden spoke about the survivors of sexual assault, and the courage it takes for victims to share their stories. 

"It doesn't matter when it happened," he said. "It doesn't matter how it happened. The pain is real." 

Many universities don't want anyone to know about it, he said. 

"We have to change the culture," he said. 

He remembered how his father said the greatest sin of all was the abuse of power and the cardinal sin was for a man to raise his hand to a woman or child. 

"Sexual assault is not about sex, it's about power," he said. "It's about the abuse of power." 

He spoke about the attitudes of our culture that for years "shamed the victims and allowed the perpetrators to escape consequences of their actions." 

He also spoke about the Violence Against Women Act, which he said was first met with  with a culture of indifference and victim-blaming. He spoke about the progress that has been made since the legislation passed.

The annual rates of domestic violence are down and more women are reporting the crime and getting help, he said. 

But more needs to be done, he said, urging students, including male students, to get involved.

He asked students to join the more than 430,000 students who have taken the “It’s On Us” pledge against sexual violence that asks for individuals to intervene in the face of abusive or harassing behavior and to support assault victims. 

During the event, the group also heard from domestic violence survivors, including Imani Ali, an advocate who introduced the vice president at the event. 

Rutgers has been expanding its efforts to support victims of sexual violence, including using a $2 million federal grant to expand training and education on campus.

The event was sponsored by the Rutgers-New Brunswick Division of Student Affairs in support of the End Sexual Violence Campaign and Turn the Campus Purple Week, an initiative from the university’s Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance.

The initiative includes the launch of Rutgers’ End Sexual Violence website to provide a single location for information on all Rutgers-New Brunswick resources related to sexual violence; the expansion of Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance resources; and the introduction of Not Anymore, a web-based education program.

Rutgers University junior Clarissa Gordon, 19, got in line at 11 a.m. to see Biden at 2 p.m.

“Obama and Joe Biden were my favorite duo,” she said. “They were the first president and vice president I was old enough to appreciate. I also just really care about sexual violence awareness. It’s really cool to see such a prominent figure come to our campus to talk about it.”

A different viewpoint was offered by campus due process attorney Andrew Miltenberg, who said in an email that "unfortunately, the Obama Administration’s policies on campus sexual assault have created an inequitable process for sexual misconduct investigations — as well as an inherent male gender bias — at colleges and universities throughout the country." 

"One sexual assault is too many, and so is one wrongfully expelled male student,"  he said.

If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, call National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). For additional information on It's On Us visit www.itsonus.org. 

Staff Writer Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com