MEC Partners with Brooklyn DA's Office to Host Campus Sexual Assault Symposium

Medgar Evers College and the Community Council for Medgar Evers College collaborated with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to host his office’s third annual Campus Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence Symposium. The symposium, held October 29, 2019, covered issues related to Title IX, reporting sexual violence, bystander intervention, working with LGBTQ survivors, and the role of the Sexual Assault Response Team.

The daylong event included speakers from the Brooklyn DA’s Office, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), legal service providers, representatives from the City University of New York (CUNY), and Medgar Evers College. Tanya Isaacs, executive director of human resources and acting chief diversity officer/Title IX coordinator, and Dr. Alexis McLean, interim dean of student affairs, served on a panel that examined MEC’s sexual response team.

Research suggests that only about 25% of sexual assaults on campus are reported to law enforcement or the college’s Title IX administrator. Isaacs, McLean, and representatives from CUNY talked about the rights of survivors on campus and the procedures in place to respond to their needs.

In addition to the panel, there were workshops, a resource fair, and breakout sessions.