Email Regarding Student Use of ‘Internal Lists’ Sparks Dialogue on Forms of Accountability and Safety Surrounding Sexual Violence

Article here. Excerpt:

'Student discourse around formal and informal mechanisms of accountability for sexual violence on campus escalated after Dean McLoughlin’s March 23 email to the student body on “internal lists” which he said are “being used to deny benefits of membership, entry or participation in activities or events, and to isolate and hold the listed students accountable without a fair and impartial judicial process.” Discussion in response to the communication from McLoughlin — Colgate’s Vice President and Dean of the College — sparked a multitude of emotions from students who feel informal student accountability provides a survivor-centric form of justice the school’s official procedures lack, though many pointed out the potential and actual harms of the use of these internal lists.

In an interview with the Maroon-News, McLoughlin defined “internal lists” as ones “either curated, managed, disseminated or used for an individual student,” further noting their origin as a means to combat or limit sexual assault and violence on campus in specific spaces. Additionally, he stated that his email was not a product of one “precipitating event,” but rather due to the frequency and prevalence of reports made by students and administrative deans regarding the use – or misuse – of these lists.'