A Look Into HSU’s Annual Crime Report

Clery Act reveals numerous sexual assault cases within the last 3 years at HSU

Humboldt State University’s 2019 Clery Act Annual Security Report reveals more than three sexual assault cases at HSU in each of the past three years.

Amelia Wagoner, a victim rights advocate and kinesiology major at HSU, said the problem goes deeper than the statistics suggest.

“The amount of reported cases here and throughout the nation do not reflect campus safety,” Wagoner said. “The reporting process is traumatic and most survivors don’t want to deal with it.”

The Clery Act federally requires all higher education institutions to disclose campus crime statistics. The newest report for HSU, released in September, covers crimes from January 2016 to December 2018. All Clery Act reports for California State Universities are available on the California State University webpage.

HSU’s report notes five rapes in 2016, five in 2017 and four in 2018. HSU doesn’t have the most rape or sexual assault instances within the CSU system, but it did have one of the largest percentages compared to its relatively low student population. Sexual assault victims made up .05% of HSU students.

HSU requires students to go through a consent course before attending, and all members of clubs or sports teams attend a Title IX seminar once per year. Title IX is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in federally-funded education institutions, and the seminar focuses on teaching consent culture and anti-hazing.

Geography major Allie Jones expressed concerns about the faculty behind HSU’s Title IX seminar.

“At HSU, nobody on the Title IX team is a woman,” said Jones. “I’m sure the coordinator is qualified for his job, but as a woman I’d feel more comfortable having another woman to talk to.”

For now, Wagoner urged students to play their part in improving campus safety.

“Make sure everything is okay,” Wagoner said. “If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, do your part to make a difference.”