Dear Fellow University of Denver Students and Community Members,

**CONTENT WARNING: gender violence, sexual assault

We are writing to call your attention to House Bill 1391, which has made its way through the Colorado House this week and will be continuing on to the Senate next week. This bill is absolutely crucial and affects all students in institutions of higher education in Colorado.

The basis of this bill is to provide clear and fair guidelines for Universities to prevent sexual violence, maintain adequate resources for survivors of sexual violence and ensure that reporting options are unbiased and just towards all parties involved. It is a statewide policy solution to address the constantly changing federal guidelines surrounding the Title IX process on higher education campuses. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. Students who experience gender discrimination or gender violence (sexual assault/harassment/rape/stalking/relationship abuse, etc.) are legally entitled to a Title IX investigation process if they chose to report their experience.

There are several extremely important aspects of this bill that will vastly improve the experience of students involved in the Title IX process. For example, the bill would codify timely notification of the Title IX process–for both sides–to prevent our peers from existing in an arduous limbo. Furthermore, the bill would prohibit past sexual history from being used as evidence and would inhibit the common practice of cross examination of survivors by their perpetrators. It would hold universities accountable for informing students about their options and providing preventative education. Finally, this bill ensures that Colorado schools continue using the preponderance of the evidence standard e.g., was it more likely than not that gender violence occurred, in all of their Title IX cases, which is the most fair and equitable standard for both parties involved.  

Ultimately, this bill supports all of us in our ultimate mission: accessing an enriching, violence-free education.

Our 2016 Campus Climate Survey showed that 78% of our fellow community members are either directly or indirectly impacted by gender based violence. This is not just an issue on the national level or at the State Capitol but on our campus.

We ask you to learn more about the bill here and become involved in addressing gender based violence on our campus by going to a B.O.S.S. training, attending a Sexual Assault Awareness Month Event, donating to the CAPE Survivor’s Fund, joining the Collegiate Council on Gender Violence Topics, supporting the survivors in your life or contributing in any way to dismantling a culture that normalizes and obscures sexual violence.

Finally and urgently, we encourage you to contact your legislators in the next days and urge them to support this bill.

Sincerely,

Hannah Rose, Secretary of Collegiate Gender Violence Topics, Violence Prevention Intern

Olivia Storz, Fourth-Year, Violence Prevention Peer Educator, Founder, Into the Light

Grace Glaser, Third-Year, Off-Campus Senator

Ken Fowler, Third-Year, Policy Intern at the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Shannon Saul, Second-Year, Co-President of the Collegiate Council of Gender Violence Topics, Prevention Intern at the Blue Bench

Ellie Goodspeed, Fourth-Year, Co-President of the Collegiate Council of Gender Violence Topics