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18 J.C. & U.L. 39 (1991-1992)
Rape on College Campuses: Reform through Title IX

handle is hein.journals/jcolunly18 and id is 47 raw text is: Rape on College Campuses: Reform Through Title IX TERRY NICOLE STEINBERG* INTRODUCTION During my last semester of law school, a friend tried to rape me in my apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I lived alone. While it was happening, I felt disembodied, and I lost my voice. I returned to classes on Monday, vacant and withdrawn. What I remember most is the fear- of friends not believing me, and of seeing him on campus. I did not know whom to trust with an experience so painful. Who would understand? Who could help me? I revealed the attack to few people. My boyfriend, four states away, did not want to hear the details. He could not be objective about what had happened to me. My female friends reacted uniformly and predictably. There was both empathy and a connection between us. In a few words I could explain how I felt and they understood. My male friends reacted with more skepticism. One completely dis- engaged from me and will not see me anymore. Two others supported me but required that I defend myself: I had to explain that I hurt and that what had happened was no misunderstanding. I chose not to report the attempted rape to the police. As a law student, I learned with increasing discontent how badly rape victims are treated by the legal system. I had no bruises to show as injuries. No demonstrable injuries-no evidence. Did Massachusetts have a rape shield law? If not, then my past sexual history would be fair game for cross-examination. I did not want to endure that pain and relive this crime in a public courtroom. I am telling my story because I believe, as do other legal authors,' that the law becomes less narrow and more complete when described * B.S., Cornell University, 1981; J.D., Boston University School of Law, 1990; admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, December 1990; Staff Attorney, Office of Hearings and Appeals, United States Department of Energy. The views expressed in this Article are those of the author, and do not represent the views or policies of the Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Department of Energy, or any other United States government agency. 1. See Delgado, Storytelling For Oppositionists And Others: A Plea For Narrative, 87 MICH. L. REV. 2411 (1989). Professor Delgado encourages members of outgroups, such as minorities and women, to tell their stories both to benefit themselves and to enrich the experiences of individuals who have traditionally held power. See also Estrich, Rape, 95 YALE L.J. 1087, 1089 (1986).

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