Amherst College President Uses Speech To Address Issue Of Campus Sexual Assaults

AMHERST — In a commencement address Sunday, Amherst College President Carolyn “Biddy” Martin acknowledged the unwelcome attention the school attracted as one of 55 institutions named by the federal Department of Education this year for possible mishandling of a sexual assault.

But Martin told the 475 graduates to take pride in how they “inspired a national movement to end sexual assault on campuses.”

Martin lamented the “failure on the part of a few to observe and respect others’ personal boundaries,” adding that the problem is not unique to Amherst and pledging to continue to promote discussion of the issue, which came to the fore when former student Angie Epifano wrote an article detailing the hostile environment she said she faced from college officials after she reported a sexual assault.

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