Stanford and Brock Turner Victim Disagree Over Campus Memorial

Stanford University and the victim of an appalling sexual assault by a former member of the school’s swim team, Brock Turner, had previously agreed to mark the site with a garden and a plaque. The idea was to include words from the impact statement that the victim — known only as Emily Doe — gave at Turner’s trial in March 2016.

Now it appears the victim is no longer cooperating with the university.

Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor assisting Emily in the planning, confirmed to Inside Higher Education that Stanford wanted to use the quote “I’m OK, everything’s OK,” but Emily disagreed and decided to no longer participate in the planning or allow anything from the statement to be used.

The 2015 assault, for which Turner was sentenced to only six months and ended up serving three, took place in a dark area of school property on which a dumpster originally stood. The dumpster was removed and lighting added to the area and it is in the process of being turned into a garden, which was Emily’s idea. She wanted a contemplative, healing place for all Stanford students to enjoy.

The Chronicle reported:

According to E.J. Miranda, a Stanford spokesman, a sexual-assault counselor said the quote Emily had suggested could be triggering to sexual-assault survivors, so it was rejected.

Instead, Miranda said, Stanford proposed three other quotes: “I’m right here, I’m OK, everything’s OK, I’m right here”; “You are beautiful, you are to be valued, respected, undeniably, every minute of every day, you are powerful and nobody can take that away from you”; and “On nights when you feel alone, I am with you. When people doubt you or dismiss you, I am with you. I fought every day for you. So never stop fighting, I believe you.”

It’s unclear what, if anything will appear on the plaque, or if the garden will now feature one.