Stanford University has drawn criticism on campus after removing the term “survivor” from its language surrounding sexual assault cases.
The university said it was moving away from the term to maintain neutrality, arguing that “survivor” can imply bias in favor of the accuser.
Stanford’s Title IX office will also be renamed. The current title, “Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education (SHARE),” will be replaced with “Title IX & Title VI Office.”
Pelagia Martin, a former SHARE student who said she was sexually assaulted, told The Stanford Daily that the office had replaced “survivor” with “impacted student.” She subsequently resigned from her position with SHARE.
Martin also told the Daily that the office would no longer participate in several events related to sexual assault awareness, including “Take Back the Night.”
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Michele Dauber, an emerita law professor, also voiced disappointment, saying the terminology change minimizes the experiences of victims and other students who have faced sexual assault in the past.
Patrick Dunkley, Stanford’s vice provost for Institutional Equity, Access and Community, told the school newspaper that “survivor” would remain in use for “educational programming.” However, he said “impacted student” would be used in future cases to signal neutrality while proceedings remain ongoing.
“The Title IX & VI Office continues to refine its focus on supporting and educating our community on a range of harassment and discrimination experiences, and responding fairly and with care to reported violations,” Dunkley said in response to the criticism.
Martin rejected the university’s explanation, calling the change a “direct attack” on her credibility and “therefore a blatant dismissal of a survivor’s voice by Patrick Dunkley and the Title IX Office.”
The controversy comes after an armed man attacked and sexually assaulted a female jogger near Stanford’s campus earlier this year, leaving the university community shaken and on edge.
The March incident allegedly began when the suspect grabbed the woman and forced her into a secluded area beside a house.