More than 30 Carleton students and supporters rallied on Aug. 17 demanding the creation of a sexual assault centre on campus and condemning the university’s defence in a recent sexual assault lawsuit, even though a settlement in the highly-publicized lawsuit had been reached a few days earlier.
 
Julie Lalonde, the demonstration’s organizer and co-founder of the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre, said she learned of the settlement on Aug. 14 but maintained that the case was just a catalyst for the event so she did not cancel it.
 
In a statement of claim filed in December 2008, the victim of a brutal sexual assault – which took place late on the night of Aug. 31, 2007 while the victim was working alone in a lab on campus – said Carleton had been negligent by failing to take adequate measures to ensure the safety of students working late.
 
In its statement of defence, Carleton said the victim was the one who was negligent by failing to take “appropriate or any action for her own safety.”
 
Some students, including Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Erik Halliwell, said Carleton’s statement placed blame for the assault on the victim.

The statement prompted Lalonde to organize a march to Carleton president Roseann Runte’s office to present her with petitions and opposition letters, followed by a rally on the corner of Sunnyside and Bronson avenues in full view of rush hour traffic.
 
The demonstration was meant to address the issue of sexual assault in general, Lalonde said, and to push for a sexual assault centre on campus in particular – a push that, according to two referendums, was supported by 80 per cent of students.
 
If anything, Lalonde said, the settlement is actually a positive step forward.
 
“In settling the case then Carleton has admitted that they had some part in what happened,” said Lalonde. “They feel like they owed the victim something [and] they acknowledged that they play a role in sexual assault prevention on campus.”
 
But when asked by those gathered outside her office when a centre would open, Runte responded: “A centre, a room, doesn’t necessarily make the campus a safe place. It’s the environment that we all create. Inside the classrooms, outside the classrooms, in the residences – all places.”
 
One step the university has already taken to create such an environment was the hiring of a coordinator of Sexual Assault Services. However, Kimalee Phillip, president of the Graduate Student’s Association, said that is not what students asked for.

“We did not ask for a sexual assault co-ordinator. We did not ask for sexual assault services to be distributed,” said Phillip. “We wanted a centre – a dedicated space.”
 
“There’s absolutely no excuse for how long they’ve stalled,” said Rachel Gurofsky, a participant in the rally. “It’s an essential service that a university should be providing to its students.”
 
“[University of Ottawa] students stand in solidarity with Carleton students,” said Roxanne Dubois, the vice president (finance) for the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. “We’re here today to remind people that university administrations play a big role in ending violence against women.”
 
Phillip said the summer demonstration was just a start and that she and others would continue their push until a centre is created.
 
“We’re going to be rounding students up come September,” said Phillip. “We’re going to keep students on the ball and we’re going to keep pushing the administration.”