By Miranda Perez
MANAGING EDITOR
From underdog Student Government Association president elect to accused “sexual predator,” Clark Atlanta junior Alake Jacobs’ position is under scrutiny amidst numerous sexual assault allegations that arose Atlanta University Center student on Twitter in June.
The night of solidarity online with the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport served as a place for students to share their experiences with sexual assault on campus and off.
The primary focus of the conversation was the lack of accountability provided from the Atlanta University Center administrators and Title IX offices, as most students who came forward felt as though justice was not served if/when they did report sexual assault on campus.
10 Atlanta University Center women came to the online conversation with allegations against Jacobs. This led to a change.org petition being created by CAU student Lani Grayer to remove Jacobs from his position due to said allegations.
“It is understood that formal investigations will need to be done. However, the word of many black women is enough for me. These women were brave enough to expose [Alake] for the pain and suffering that he has caused them. He has failed the students he was elected to represent. Too many times, a woman is failed by her peers and by officials when the topic is sexual abuse. We as a student body would be remiss if we do nothing. These young women deserve to be believed. The Title IX office of CAU has proven to allow perpetrators to remain unchecked. The cycle ends now,” Grayer said in her petition description.
The petition has collected 2,147 signatures thus far which equates to about half of CAU’s student body population. However as some names on the petition remain anonymous, there is no telling on how many CAU students signed exactly.
Spelman student Elyse Spencer, who fell victim to the AUC shooting this past fall was one of the women who came forward about sexual assault accounts with Jacobs.
Prior to the assault, the two were friends. The friendship went south after Spencer was shot and Jacobs accompanied her in the hospital room. “Him and another (female) friend of mine stayed the night with me in the hospital. My friend laid on the couch and he (Alake) laid in the bed with me. In the middle of the sleep, I remember him kissing me. So that’s kind of where it started off and then it evolved into him asking me to do things to him. I wasn’t comfortable with it, but he was sort of a savior figure and I was in a very vulnerable state. So things that shouldn’t have happened, happened,” Spencer said.
To address these allegations, Jacobs initially went to Twitter “I would never intentionally make somebody feel uncomfortable or pressured,” Jacobs said in June (the tweet has since then been deleted).
Jacobs did not respond to a request to interview for this story.
The SGA president position is said to be the face of the university, a leader to the entire undergraduate class, in place to work on the behalf of their concerns.
Despite school wide mandated Title IX online stimulations to complete prior to graduation and running for student leadership positions, students have expressed little faith in the ability of these programs to yield accountability in their peers’ actions.
Due to their relationship Spencer feared coming forward to Title IX offices at Spelman and Clark about her sexual assault encounters with Jacobs. “We were friends, best friends originally. But it was never really friends because he wanted to do sexual things that I was not comfortable with. I was uncomfortable being around him and cut ties. I tried to avoid seeing him as much as possible, but the AUC is small,” Spencer said.
Prior to the removal petition, Jacobs was a fan favorite to students during CAU’s first virtual student election amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He was one of four candidates and the only male student on the SGA President ballet. Correspondingly, he was the only rising junior running for the position amongst rising seniors.
“I was friends with Alake and I helped him on his campaign team. I thought he was a really good person and a supportive person for this school so [after the allegations come out] I was like wow we have elected someone as president who had been doing this on the low,” said Kadidiatou Mampoya (CAU ‘22).
Jacobs’ campaign platform focused on modernization, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and cultivating student engagement. His campaign took off with the hashtag: “#ThanksAlake” that students/peers alike used with a comedic note to commemorate the work he’s done to improve campus without an official student leadership position.
While the university has not released an official statement regarding Jacob’s position or removal appeal, in late June an updated CAU Title IX Statement was presented by President Dr. George T. French Jr.
“Our highest priority is fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for our students. To that end, Clark Atlanta University takes reports and complaints of sexual misconduct and assault very seriously. When an investigation and subsequent hearing determine that sexual misconduct has occurred, we impose punishments up to and including expulsion,” said French.
Title IX office representative Ramona Roman upon a request for a statement announced, “Federal student privacy laws will not allow the University to publicly comment on or discuss conduct matters involving any of its students with others. However, this summer, the University completed an in-depth review of its Title IX policy and revised it to include updates on how to make a report or formal complaint of sexual misconduct and how the University would address them after they are made. We strongly encourage students to visit the University’s website to access both the University’s updated Title IX policy and the University’s Title IX page for more information about the process and how they can file a formal complaint if they choose to do so,” Roman said.
Comments