Photo by: Carson Ming

 

By: Auzzy Byrdsell, MT Secretary  

 

On April 24 in front of Cosby Academic Center, hundreds of Spelman College students were accompanied by Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University students and faculty from the Atlanta University Center (AUC) to discuss and protest allegations of sexual assault and rape in the AUC. During the protest, Spelman students voiced their concerns to the AUC administration and the students of Morehouse and Spelman.

 

In the last month, several Spelman students, who the Maroon Tiger will not name, publicly claimed via their personal Instagram and GroupMe accounts that men who are either students or employees of the AUC sexually assaulted or raped them. 

 

The Maroon Tiger confirmed with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) there is an ongoing investigation regarding an alleged misconduct but will not release detailed documentation due to this being an open case. This also means APD can not disclose the specific accusations in the report.

 

Speculation of the controversy began on April 22 when a clip of someone putting a drop of an unknown, liquid substance in a woman’s drink went viral on Instagram and reached other social media platforms. The alleged victim claims the person in the video is a Morehouse freshman. Spelman students accuse the Morehouse freshman of rape by placing drugs in the drinks of several women.

 

The Maroon Tiger cannot confirm whether or not the person in the Instagram post is the Morehouse freshman. 

 

In the same post, a Spelman freshman, who made the initial post on Instagram, claims to be one of his victims. 

 

In a text conversation with the Maroon Tiger, she said she is not available to share further details on the matter regarding the events because of an ongoing investigation.

 

The Maroon Tiger requested to speak with the accused Morehouse freshman, but he ignored the request. 

 

According to campus police, since the investigation is ongoing, they are not able to share the report file or any regarding details. “We can’t share the report unless [a request comes] from the officer the crime was reported to,” Morehouse Campus Police said.

 

At the protest, Spelman students said they have been in communication with Morehouse administration in regards to the rape accusations against the Morehouse freshman since September, but they said no progress has been made. 

 

However, according to Morehouse administration, the incident took place during the 2022 Fall semester but wasn’t formally reported until this Spring semester. 

 

At the protest, countless women shared traumatic, personal experiences concerning sexual assault or rape. These students asked to not be recorded. Many of these alleged crimes are said to be at the hands of Morehouse students, according to the Spelman students at the protest. 

 

The protest lasted more than four hours. Various members of Spelman College’s faculty and staff attended the protest, including Spelman’s new president Helene Gayle. Morehouse College alumni and deans Kevin Booker and Brock Mayers also attended but did not speak. 

 

Founding director of Spelman’s Women’s Research and Resource Center, Beverly Guy-Sheftall, helped orchestrate the event. Spelman’s vice president of student affairs, Darryl Holloman, also attended the event. 

 

The Spelmanites in attendance overwhelmingly exceeded the number of Men of Morehouse in the crowd, which was a major topic of discussion during the protest.

 

On April 22, Morehouse’s Office of Student Services sent out an email on behalf of administration and the Student Government Association to the entire student body reminding them of the “thorough protocol to respond to all allegations of harassment and abuse.”

 

The email reads:

“All allegations of harassment or abuse are treated with confidentiality and the upmost respect, care and importance. In the interest of our community, we ask that you always allow our administration to work diligently and trust that resolution will be reached fairly. We never condone violence, harassment or retaliation on any level and ask that all Morehouse and AUC students always abide by our institutions’ Student Codes of Conduct.” 

 

 A petition with over 9,600 signatures at the time of this writing is circulating with demands for the Morehouse administration to take action on the following:

• The accused Morehouse freshman be removed from the AUC immediately, and that moving forward, known sexual offenders at any institution in the AUC be dismissed from their respective institutions as well.
• The alleged victim’s rights as a student of the AUC be restored at Morehouse College.
• The formal denouncement of the Morehouse student’s actions by all student organizations he was or is a part of.

To view the petition, click here. 

“It’s difficult to say how Morehouse should respond knowing that this is a social problem,” said Morehouse alumni and professor of philosophy, Illya Davis. He also serves as the director of freshmen and seniors’ academic success at Morehouse.

 

“My issue is, how much more diligent can we be when we do hear of these cases?” Davis said. 

 

According to Davis, Morehouse’s New Student Orientation included a mandatory sexual assault forum. However, the forum has not been a part of NSO for the past three years, according to Davis.

 

“We need to be a little more serious about how this happens,” he said. “Also, if you question the legitimacy of one of your friends’ relationships, students should be responsible for reporting that.”

 

The Maroon Tiger met with Morehouse administration on April 25 in person on the recent sexual assault allegations, however, representatives of the administration were not available to deliver statements regarding the matter due to the sensitivity of the investigations. The administration said they are working and eager to work with AUC student leaders on finding more resources and education regarding sexual interaction. 

 

Cameron Cullers, professor of self-defense and boxing at Spelman, also spoke at the protest in support of the Spelmanites. 

 

“I’m speaking directly to the men of Clark, Morehouse, administration and staff. We have an obligation to protect the Black woman,” he said. “These women are not victims; they are victors because they survived and still here.

 

“We’ve got to do a better job as men,” he continued. “If you’ve never been poured into to learn how to protect a woman, then you need to reach out. You’ve got to do your homework and ask somebody.” 

 

Cullers also encouraged all students to take his courses and visit his self-defense studio at 1240 Metropolitan Parkway.

 

“I think it’s really important that we don’t shut out Morehouse students or Clark students from opportunities to hold their brothers accountable for better behavior and be better,” said Spelman freshman Amara Dynes.  

 

To learn more about Spelman’s Title IX Compliance, click here. To read more about Morehouse’s Title IX Compliance, click here.

To find Spelman’s Public Safety information, click here. To find Morehouse’s Public Safety information, click here.

 

Copy Edited by: Nicole Smith and Ron Thomas, MT Advisors