When Weinberg senior Stacie Chea studied in Spain last year, her orientation focused briefly on the topic of sexual harassment. Even then, the talk was more about harassment by natives than by other students.
But when students leave Northwestern’s environment, they also leave behind the measures that protect them from sexual harassment.
“I think it would be a good idea to touch on (this issue) because when you are overseas you feel isolated as it is,” Chea said. “If something like that were to happen, and you had no one to turn to, it could definitely be an issue.”
Although NU students have had few problems, six female students at Eastern Michigan University sued their school over the matter.
The students accused members of their own group of sexual harassment during a month program in South Africa in 1999. The students said their school had not done enough to prevent the harassment, thereby violating Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX bars sexual discrimination at colleges that receive federal funds.
Eastern Michigan said Title IX applies only to students in the country, but U.S. District Judge Marianne O. Battani ruled in a pretrial motion the law applies when students are enrolled in study abroad programs.
“Allowing sex discrimination to occur unremedied in study abroad programs could close those educational opportunities to female students by requiring them to submit to sexual harassment in order to participate,” Battani wrote.
Schools nationwide are now paying attention to the issue, and some now cover sexual harassment in study abroad orientation .
Marcia Mahoney, director of the NU’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Office, said her department is working on training faculty members who travel abroad with students.
“If there is nobody available on site, it would always be appropriate for the student to contact me or any one of the persons responsible for enforcing the sexual harassment policy,” she said.
Students who are not satisfied should notify NU, she added.
“Certainly doing investigation and communicating with people in a different country may be complicated,” she said, “We have the responsibility to take action to protect students,” she said.
Bill Anthony, director of the Study Abroad Office, said NU has an extensive program for students planning to study abroad, including discussions and self-defense classes.
He said he only knows of one incident, which occurred a few years ago, when a female NU student left a bar around 2 a.m. and was the recipient of sexual advances, Anthony said.
He said he asked the Women’s Center to immediately get in touch with the student.
“I wanted somebody to contact her and reach out to the student,” Anthony said. “God forbid that something like that should happen.”