For Immediate Release:
Saturday, July 4, 2020
NEW JERSEY – Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. stands against sexual assault, misconduct, and all other forms of violence. The Board of Directors has become aware of the accounts of rape/sexual assault from survivors who happen to be members of Lambda Theta Alpha as well as many non-members and members of other sororities. We are glad to see that survivors are speaking up and speaking out about their personal sexual assault incidents, especially within the Greek Community. We admire all survivors for being brave and courageous to publicly identify their assailants/abusers and report these incidents directly to the fraternities involved. Lambda Theta Alpha wants ALL survivors of sexual assault, misconduct, and violence to know that WE STAND WITH YOU. We want our members and community to know that we are here to support, uplift and empower those affected by sexual assault, provide resources to those who have yet to come forward with their personal accounts and stand in solidarity against sexual assault.
Over the years, Lambda Theta Alpha has been a participant in Sexual Assault Awareness Month partnering with a fraternity to bring awareness to the issue. We acknowledge that this partnership may have been traumatizing for some of our members. We knew that we needed to change our approach and move beyond a social media partnership, so we were more intentional with our April 2020 Sexual Assault Awareness Month; partnering with San Diego State University to offer a three-part webinar series from their SISSTER Training Course (Sororities Invested In Survivor Support Training and Ending Rape Culture). We also acknowledge that one month isn’t enough to solve the serious and widespread issue of sexual violence and rape culture that permeates college and university campuses nationally and society as a whole. It is imperative that as an organization we continue to address the rape culture that exists, especially within the Greek community, and be catalysts to help change this thinking. We commit to further developing our leadership training to include our internal reporting structure for these incidents and greater resources for members impacted by sexual assault.
We encourage all of our members who feel safe, comfortable and who are ready to speak up about their experiences, to report their incidents via our Incident Report Form on CampusGroups. Once a report is submitted, a member of the Risk Management team will contact you. Please know that these reports will remain confidential and are taken seriously. While Lambda Theta Alpha does not have the power to file criminal charges on anyone’s behalf, we are available to listen, provide support and present options for next steps. We urge all fraternities, sororities, university campuses and all other organizations to step up in advocating for victims by providing a platform to report assailants and obtain support.
Contact:
Jennifer Rincones, Vice President of External Affairs
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.
[email protected]
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About Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.
Lambda Theta Alpha was founded at Kean University in 1975 as the first Latina sorority in the nation. Lambda Theta Alpha strives to develop strong leaders that produce and engage in political, social, and cultural activities. Based on the principles of Unity, Love and Respect, the Sorority was established for the unification of women through charitable and educational programs. Although Lambda Theta Alpha is Latin by tradition, the Sorority is inclusive to all women regardless of race, color, creed, sexual identity, gender expression, or religious beliefs.