USAC calls for accountability among frats in wake of sexual assault lawsuit
The statement from the Undergraduate Students Association Council comes less than a month after a current female UCLA student filed charges against a former Zeta Beta Tau fraternity member for negligence, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. (Amy Dixon/Photo editor)
By Melissa Morris
Sept. 9, 2018 11:27 p.m.
This post was updated Sept. 11 at 5:31 p.m.
Student government officials released a statement Friday condemning sexual violence at UCLA fraternities and encouraging Greek life to address issues of sexually predatory behavior.
The statement from the Undergraduate Students Association Council comes less than a month after reports that former Zeta Beta Tau fraternity member Blake Lobato is facing charges of negligence, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A current female UCLA student filed the charges against Lobato at the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The council recommended Title IX training for fraternity leadership and peer-led consent and upstanding intervention training for all fraternity members.
The council also recommended the Interfraternity Council hold a public town hall to discuss concerns about its new risk management policies and sexual violence prevention methods with UCLA community members.
USAC president Claire Fieldman said she hopes the council’s statement will demonstrate its commitment to combating sexual violence.
“I hope that USAC’s statement will demonstrate our solidarity with the survivor of this particular incident and with all survivors of sexual violence in our Bruin community. Though this phenomenon is by no means exclusive to fraternities, I do believe that constructive steps can and should be taken by fraternity leadership to hold offenders accountable, as well as adequately train their leaders and educate their members,” Fieldman said.
