To the DePauw Student Body:
As members of DePauw's Executive Student Government we respect The DePauw as an independent organization free from the control of DePauw Student Government. We reaffirm that The DePauw remains an open forum for the advancement of meaningful discourse.
Members of The DePauw's Editorial Board and those who submit content for publication should expect to be held to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. As a small liberal arts institution, DePauw's student body is truly a close-knit community that should foster a safe environment for individual growth and experience.
As students of DePauw University and according to the DePauw Student Handbook, we have a shared responsibility to "maintain the University's highest ideals of academic and social conduct and are responsible for knowing the published regulations and standards of the University. These guidelines express expectations of student behavior, convey a respect for group living and provide for protection of individual rights."
Unfortunately, the story covering date-rape drugs and sexual assault published by The DePauw fell woefully short of these standards. The discourse on sexual assault and rape culture at DePauw is a meaningful one that is all too relevant. It is with regret that such a crucially important issue was sensationalized and misrepresented.
We offer our sincerest apologies to those who had their rights to privacy stripped from them and offer whatever we can in hopes of helping them heal. We cannot take back what was said but now must work to ensure that future errors are prevented. Going forward, The DePauw and the campus community must provide safeguards that protect the identity of sources in sexual assault cases.
We hope that The DePauw can become a place that appropriately raises the important issues and challenges facing DePauw University. We in no way mean to limit or suppress The DePauw or any student's attempt in the pursuit of expression and higher education. We simply wish such issues be handled with respect, integrity and honesty.