Written By Isabella Riley
Edited By Nicolas Francis
League of Storytellers
*Trigger warning: this article contains discussion of sexual assault and harassment and how cases are being handled on college campuses*
Today, in our mission to showcase SUNY Geneseo’s values, we are showcasing an event that aligns with the value of civic engagement. On Monday, October 5th, 2026, students and community members gathered to peacefully protest with the Geneseo Club Peace Action, an affiliate of Peace Action New York State, regarding the handling of sexual assault and violence cases by the Title IX Office and on college campuses in general. In response to the Cornell 57 case, Peace Action held a roundtable discussion on Thursday, October 1st, to discuss how Geneseo’s Title IX Office has shown discrepancies in handling cases of sexual assault and cultural aspects found within Geneseo’s Greek life and off-campus parties. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects students against sex-based discrimination in education settings that receive federal funding. Sex-based discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, gender-based harassment or discrimination, sexual violence, sexual abuse, domestic and dating violence, sexual exploitation, and stalking.
Co-president of Peace Action Sarah Schoeneman stated that, “This specific protest has a few different elements. The most important, for Geneseo purposes, was to create an outlet for students to show their dissent towards our community’s handling of sexual violence. For Peace Action, the protest is only one part of a much larger project, but it’s the most public aspect. So, while students can participate and be heard, we can gauge what students want. We (Peace Action) are now working with other groups on campus, including the Student Association, to push for real change.”
There are a few changes that Peace Action and students on campus would like to see, such as changing how education on Title IX is handled, making Title IX more accessible and approachable, increasing education surrounding sexual assault, and, more broadly, petitioning the SUNY system to allocate more resources to the Title IX office. Schoeneman cites that, “Title IX, being a landmark piece of legislation, will be a central player in ending sexual violence on college campuses, so a major factor is advocating for Title IX offices to be well maintained and evaluated frequently to ensure it is functioning at its best.”
Before the protest on October 5th, President Treadwell came out onto the lawn to bring snacks to the protestors, thank them for showing up, and to express the hope that real change can be made and that she is more than willing to hear the ideas from students and Peace Action on what changes can be made.
Many students and community members from a variety of backgrounds showed up to the protest, which took place on the side of South Street, next to Doty Hall, the location of Geneseo’s Title IX Office. Many carried signs voicing their anger over how the Cornell case has been dealt with, how cases on Geneseo’s campus have been dealt with, and overall how sexual assault has been a rampant occurrence both in the US and on college campuses in general.
When asked what this protest meant to them and why it was important to them to show up, students had many similar answers.
One student Ashlynn Weaver said, “I thought it was very important because there’s so many people that won’t speak out about what they’ve went through. And I think that that system that is broken is what’s causing a lot of it. I mean, it’s scary. And going through those events in life is horrible and going through the events after shouldn’t be. And that’s really what’s going on now.”
Another student Tristan Breaton commented that he’s, “part of a fraternity, and one of our values in our fraternity is to promote a safe environment and this is you know a way to get out there and support that idea because it’s you know, what’s going on is kind of ridiculous and you know, it’s everybody’s job to make sure that this culture of like rape and sexual assault is held accountable to anybody. So that’s why I’m here.”
While this protest was somewhat fueled by the news of the Cornell 57 case and the handling of sexual assault cases on college campuses, it was also in response to continued upset with SUNY Geneseo’s Title IX processes. The protest also comes after the publication of two Livingston County News articles that showcase the disappointing processes of the Title IX Office at Geneseo. The first article outlined how there have been discrepancies and underreporting of sexual assault and harassment numbers by SUNY Geneseo, and the lack of support for victims by the Title IX Office and the Lauderdale Health and Counseling Center.
The second article reported on the presence of an investigation into the Title IX Office. The article reported that a spokesperson for SUNY Geneseo, “said that she did not know the scope of the investigation, when it began, who commissioned it, or who is conducting it, and referred questions to the SUNY system. SUNY system spokesperson Holly Liapis referred the same questions to SUNY Geneseo.” While we know that the investigation is still ongoing, there is not much more available information. Sarah Schoenemen stated that Peace Action is “watching the Title IX investigation as [they] continue to meet with other groups on campus to create change.”
We will now wait and see what comes from this protest and the student body’s efforts to get real change when it comes to the Title IX processes at SUNY Geneseo. We wanted to give attention to this event as it aligns with our mission to showcase SUNY Geneseo’s value of civic engagement.
If you or someone you know needs help regarding sexual assault or harassment there are a list of resources at your disposal. You can contact University Police if you are in immediate danger at (585) 245-5222 or by calling 911. You can contact the SUNY Geneseo Title IX Office at (585) 245-5023. You can also receive medical and mental health support at Lauderdale Health and Counseling Center at (585) 245-5736. You can call the confidential RESTORE Advocate Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-546-2777 if you are in Monroe County or at 1-800-527-1757 if you are in Livingston, Genesee, Orleans, or Wyoming Counties. These are just a few of many free resources available to you.
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