The name has been changed to protect the survivor
“I only had two sips of a beer…,” said Brittany, the victim of sexual assault her first semester here at Western Carolina University in 2013.
She went to a party with some friends for an innocent night of fun when it soon turned into her worst nightmare. All Brittany wanted was some peace and quiet after the party, but he would not leave her be. When she refused to be forced into performing sexual acts with him, he would later threaten her life over what happened that night and falsely accuse her of rape if she were to come forward.
Regardless, Brittany brought it up to the authorities and staff at WCU, but her case was quickly swept under the rug and she ended up being given an ultimatum.
She either had to take it to court and have them disregard her case because she had been “drinking”, or let it go so that she would not end up having underage drinking put on her permanent record. Listen to her full story in the video below.
Filmed and edited by Morgan Miller.
Now, a recent graduate from WCU, Brittany continues to have nightmares about that night and the chaos that ensued during her first semester as a Catamount. It still haunts her to this day and the decisions she was pressured into still live with her. As for the other party involved, he is still attending school and was allowed to complete his degree.
We reached out to the Dean of Students, Kevin Koett regarding this case, but he repeatedly ignored our requests for an interview.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or domestic violence please contact the proper authorities. You can also reach out to the student ambassadors of sexual assault and domestic violence Christina Lynn Parker at (910)-985-0541 or at clparker2@catamount.wcu.edu or her fellow ambassador Kaylynn Wilson at kmwilson12@catamount.wcu.edu.
