The Hawk spoke with the candidates running for Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro (D), Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Montgomery County, and John Rafferty (R), Pennsylvania’s 44th Senatorial District representative. We asked them about the role of Attorney General and issues affecting college students.
Josh Shapiro (D)
How would you explain the job of attorney general to college students?
“The job of attorney general is to be the peoples’ attorney general. The one person every college student and every Pennsylvanian can rely on to protect their interests and their rights. For example, if a student loan company is trying to defraud you out of money, it will be my job as attorney general to protect students from that kind of fraud. It is also my job as attorney general to protect the constitutional rights, whether the constitutional right is protecting a woman’s health or protecting our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.”
How does your job affect us?
“Well if I do my job effectively and there are fewer scams, safer streets in communities, and a better education system, then that ultimately improves the lives of students at Saint Joseph’s and the lives of all Pennsylvanians.”
What could you do in your capacity as attorney general to help prevent college campus sexual assault?
“There was a 2015 study from Penn State [Pennsylvania State University] that found that six percent of undergraduate men, 28 percent [of] women, 25 percent [of] LGBTQ, have been assaulted while on campus. Those numbers are staggeringly high and we need a coordinated, comprehensive response. As attorney general, I will take campus sexual assault seriously and put the resources into combating. Here’s what we’ll do. First, we will create a culture of consent and promote prevention and education. Second, we’re going to develop model memorandum of understanding to make sure that campus leaders know what their responsibilities are if sexual assaults occur. Third, I will make sure that survivors of sexual assault receive critical support services. Fourth, we want to make sure that both the students and the administrators on the college campus get all the education and technical assistance they need to be able to protect student life. Fifth, there is a real backlog in Pennsylvania with the review of evidence in sexual assault cases. In fact, 1,800 rape kits in Pennsylvania have not been checked yet. We need to make sure that we get rid of that backlog in sexual assault cases. And finally, I’m going to encourage reporting by colleges and universities of sexual assault and if I find that higher education institutions are purposefully not disclosing incidents of sexual assault, I will hold them accountable. The law is on my side and I will enforce the law if need be [and] hold them criminally liable if they are covering up sexual assault.”
How are you going to make it easier for survivors of sexual assault to feel comfortable on college campuses?
“Part of it is a change in attitude and ensuring that we get rid of the veil of secrecy that often surrounds campus sexual assault. Another part of it is just making sure there is an apparent presence of counseling and support services on campus so that if a woman is victimized on campus she knows where to go to get help and that is clear, the services are out in the open in order for her to get the care that she needs.”
John Rafferty (R)
How would you explain the job of attorney general to college students?
“Chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the chief lawyer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In that you have specific duties outlined by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Act in the original jurisdiction and for criminal prosecutions such as Medicaid fraud, intercounty criminal activity, political corruption [and] insurance fraud.”
How does your job affect us?
“[College students] are part of the fabric of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, so any of the legislation that the legislature enacts for the protection for the citizens of the commonwealth, every college student is included, [including] those in colleges in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And, the Office of Attorney General is instrumental in making sure that your health and safety is protected, and working with the local law enforcement officials and the campus police to make sure of your safety and security there. The Office of Attorney General works closely with all state agencies and that would include some of the colleges and universities here in Pennsylvania to make sure that we are in concert of making sure you’re all well-protected.”
What could you do in your capacity as attorney general to help prevent college campus sexual assault?
“I’ve been on legislation in the general assembly for that. I think education is a big aspect of it and something that I’ve talked to some of the state higher education folks about, as well. The education aspect and working with the campus police and the local police as to what to look for, to trust their instincts, and to trust the information given to them by individuals, and if they can’t and aren’t equipped to handle an investigation into an allegation, then their resources to have the DA petition the Office of Attorney General and allow the Office of Attorney general to step in.”
How are you going to make it easier for survivors of sexual assault to feel comfortable on college campuses?
“I think a lot of that is working with the administration on college campuses and working with the legislature, having a good report to legislature as to ‘why’? To make sure there are programs in place for counseling and for support as the individuals come back to the college campus and are acclimated. For instance, I have worked on two aspects of this and it’s not related exactly to what you have, but I’m going to draw the analogy. I worked on the Veteran’s Force Hearing Committee here in Pennsylvania and recognizing when our men and women were coming home they were getting into trouble because of use of alcohol or drugs and they were committing crimes. We wanted to make sure that they became productive members of society again. So, we afforded the counseling and rehabilitation. We take that to another page, and make sure that we have all the dollars there for the counseling, for those individuals who have suffered at the hands of another and to make sure that they’re fitting back into community, and to make sure that they know they have friends in law enforcement that will be there for them and help them along the way.”
