Revelations over sexual assault at Baylor University were lost in all the headlines flashing across news banners in America last week. The Texas private institution has gained national exposure in recent years due to its athletic programs excelling far beyond the usual. It has exceeded expectations as one of the Big-XII’s smallest schools. The news is repulsing to the core, with the announcement that a Title IX lawsuit had been filed, alleging that the football program fostered a culture of sexual persuasion and that coaches encouraged female students to sleep with players and recruits.

Over a period of four years, the federal lawsuit alleges that more than 52 rapes were committed by 30 players on the team. The plaintiff describes a specific attack by two players against her in 2013. During this time, Baylor’s football program had reached unprecedented levels of success and they buried the scandal to maintain their competitive edge. 

That’s the first and only time that I will mention Baylor’s football successes. The program doesn’t deserve any defense for the quality of their play — their actions off the turf void any type of recognition for what they do on Saturdays at McLane Stadium.

There is a culture that creates the shielding of perpetuators at Baylor University. It was a culture that existed at Penn State, which although consisting of different circumstances, ultimately draws eerie similarities to what we’re witnessing in Waco, Texas. I wrote a column very similarly to this one just two months ago in regards to the aforementioned scandal, and the fact that I’m reiterating the same words once again stings to the core. 

You should care about what’s happening at Baylor. You should care that two assistant coaches who were on staff during the period beginning in 2009 now have full-time jobs at other schools, including our sister institution Arizona State University. You should care that Baylor agreed to pay for a survivor’s education in exchange for her signing a non-disclosure agreement.

You should care because this culture exists on NC State’s campus too.

I’m not advocating or pushing any type of conspiracy theory about our athletic department, but rather striving to bring awareness to a problem that clearly exists. Wolf Alerts come to our inbox too regularly with information involving a sexual assault, as required by the 1988 Clery Act. We quickly glance at them and delete them from our inbox, which is something that even I’ll admit to doing. We leave it to the police or for Student Conduct to handle and go about our business with little thought into the situation that occurred.

There’s a person that we’re ignoring in that circumstance though, and they suffered a damage that is unimaginable. We’re devaluing survivors. This fosters a culture that only breeds more action. 

As mentioned in my Penn State article, until the value of survivors is increased by society, then the words that we put forth are meaningless and unsubstantial. Alongside this, it’s important for the federal government to provide accountability to ensure that colleges and universities are correctly handling sexual assault claims on campus. With a new presidential administration, the future seems to be up in the air and there is tremendously little indication on how Donald Trump’s Department of Education will treat an area that the Obama administration prioritized with initiatives such as It’s On Us. In what I consider to be a dark time in the history of America, college campuses are increasingly becoming a breeding group for predators and hostile actions. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the American Institutes for Research, reported sex crimes on college campuses increased by 1,000 from 2012-13, and the number of forcible sex crimes more than doubled over a 12-year period beginning in 2001.

Many universities remain tone-deaf to these facts. When administration harbors the perpetuators while settling with the survivors, as was the case with Baylor and Penn State, there is no positive solution. When the administration gets caught doing said action, they are forced to resign, the masses lash out and then we turn a blind-eye once it’s all said and done. Removing those administrators places punishment on a face, but ultimately it seems more and more like a scape-goat. People besides a select few with power at the university need to see and feel the consequences that happen when those with power use it to cover up one of the most vile actions. We, as college students, but most of all, as humans, need to realize that turning a blind eye doesn’t lead to justice.

Fight for that justice. Get mad and stay mad. I’m mad at Baylor. I don’t care how harsh the inevitable NCAA penalty will be. In my eyes, no penalty against the program will be harsh enough. While you may not share the same sentiments, I at least urge you to take greater awareness at what goes on here at NC State and at campuses across the nation. Familiarize yourself with Title IX policy and the resources available for survivors in the Women’s Center. Don’t pass off Wolf Alerts as an annoying email norm and be an active bystander in problematic situations. 

Don’t ignore the investigation happening at Baylor. Don’t let the news get shrouded. Don’t let the injustice go gentle into that good night.