Students at New York’s Columbia University have started a “rapist list” with the names of four alleged campus attackers, in an effort to protect women on campus from potential sexual assaults. The unidentified vigilantes have scribbled the names of the male “rapists” inside of women’s campus bathrooms and posted fliers with the same names around the school. A flier obtained by CNN titled “Rapists on Campus” is said to include three names of men who committed sexual assaults according to the university. The fourth name on the list is identified as a “serial rapist.” A staff member is reportedly named on the list.
Columbia sophomore Cami Quarta told CNN the intent for the list “was a last resort, just out of desperation” to protect students from sexual assault. “If they didn’t do it, it would have swept under the rug and no one would have heard about it — that’s why we’re talking,” said another student who was not identified. Columbia University quickly removed the lists.
The rapist list comes weeks after a federal complaint case was filed with the U.S. Department of Education in response to the mishandling of sexual assault cases according to a group of 23 students. In the complaint, students allege that the Ivy League school discouraged students from coming forward about sexual assaults, discriminated against students based on their sexual or gender orientation, and failed to punish the rapists.
“Columbia is more willing to silence and punish survivors and their supporters than serial rapists,” the students said in the complaint. 21-year-old Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, one of those students identified in the complaint, said she was a victim of sexual assault on campus nearly two years ago, but never reported it to authorities because she has no faith in the school system.
A Columbia spokesman said in a statement the university was aware of the complaint, but could not comment on the allegations. The university also declined to comment on the rapist list.