JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A University of North Florida student who was under the impression that the man they say assaulted them in their dorm room two years ago would also share the same stage with them at graduation learned that will no longer be the case, UNF Spinnaker reported.
Despite requests to have the university prevent the assaulter from walking, the student believed they were faced with the idea of possibly coming face-to-face with their assaulter during their graduation ceremony on Friday.
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However, according to the fall 2023 commencement ceremony program, which was published Wednesday, the assaulter was not listed.
While the student was relieved to hear the news, Spinnaker reported that the student did not receive any updates from UNF after their request.
A university investigation of the 2021 assault found the student’s assaulter responsible for sexual harassment and sexual assault, in violation of the university’s code of conduct, according to a written determination from UNF’s dean of students that the survivor supplied to Spinnaker.
No criminal charges were filed against the assaulter, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Spinnaker.
The assault occurred during the survivor’s freshman year, and the student told Spinnaker they had been dating the man online for about two months, but the night of the assault in 2021 was the first time the two met in person.
The student told investigators they were assaulted multiple times that night, and the man admitted to investigators that he fondled and sexually harassed the student.
According to Spinnaker, the written determination from the dean said an educational response was appropriate and that the man would be required to complete a consent course and reflective essay.
The student told Spinnaker they were stonewalled for months over their request for accommodations, and they even resorted to calling the university president’s office about the issue.
Less than 48 hours before they were expecting to walk, the university called the student to say the assaulter would still walk in their ceremony, but that the survivor would be granted other accommodations.
It’s unclear when the latest changes were made from what the student was originally told by UNF.
“I was never made aware that he would not be walking at graduation, and it caused a lot of unnecessary anxiety surrounding the whole thing,” the student told Spinnaker.
According to Spinnaker, no student was added or removed from the program since Wednesday, and UNF would not confirm if the assaulter was enrolled as a current student as of Thursday night.
For the full story, visit unfspinnaker.com.