Dear Marquette community,
As we continue to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we wanted to take a moment to pause and remind everyone that sexual violence is a crime that affects everyone — and it has no place at Marquette University and no place in our world.
It is important that we — a Catholic, Jesuit university community — make a collective statement that we will not tolerate acts of sexual violence, and that we will fully support victims when we learn of any incidents of sexual violence. Through our Title IX office, Marquette offers a variety of resources to report incidents and receive support, and we encourage you to come forth if you witness or are a victim of sexual violence.
As a symbol of our firm stance against sexual violence and to show our support for the survivors of these horrific acts, we ask everyone to participate in this year’s Denim Day, Wednesday, April 26.
Many of you might remember that Denim Day began as a protest against a 1997 Italian court case, in which a convicted rapist’s sentence was overturned. The court ruled that because the teenage victim’s jeans were tight, the victim must have assisted in their removal, thereby making the sex act consensual. Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work.
Please join us and wear jeans this Wednesday. We can make a statement against sexual violence, and working together, we can make our community safer for everyone.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Lovell
President
Daniel J. Myers
Provost
Xavier A. Cole
Vice President for Student Affairs