UVA Fraternity Challenges Rape Allegations

The University of Virginia fraternity whose members were accused of gang raping a female student will challenge claims made in a viral article from Rolling Stone, the Washington Post reported Friday, and the magazine is backing away from its support of the unraveling story. 

The University of Virginia chapter of Phi Kappa Psi released a statement that brought forth several inconsistencies with the story Jackie, the university student who says she was brutally raped by seven fraternity members, told Rolling Stone. 

[READ: University of Virginia Board Commits to Zero Tolerance Policy on Sexual Assault]

"We continue to be shocked by the allegations and saddened by this story. We have no knowledge of these alleged acts being committed at our house or by our members," the fraternity said in the statement. "Anyone who commits any form of sexual assault, wherever or whenever, should be identified and brought to justice." 

For one, the fraternity said no party was hosted the night Jackie says the rape occurred (Sept. 28, 2012) and that no fraternity members were employed by the university's aquatic facilities. Jackie said in the Rolling Stone story the fraternity member who brought her as his date to the party worked as a lifeguard, where she was also employed. The fraternity also took issue with the suggestion the assault was part of an initiation process, saying new members are initiated at the end of the spring, not the fall, and that "no ritualized sexual assault" is part of pledging or initiation. 

"This notion is vile, and we vehemently refute this claim," the statement reads. 

In a statement on the Rolling Stone website, Managing Editor Will Dana said the publication honored the request of Jackie to not contact the fraternity member she says took her as his date to the party. But in light of new information the fraternity plans to present Friday, Dana said there are discrepancies, and "we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced." 

"We were trying to be sensitive to the unfair shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault and now regret the decision to not contact the alleged assaulters to get their account," Dana said. "We are taking this seriously and apologize to anyone who was affected by the story."

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Not only did the Rolling Stone account spur national headlines and draw a heightened awareness to instances of college sexual assault, it also nabbed the attention of the university's governing board, which last week passed a resolution committing to a zero tolerance policy on sexual assault. University President Teresa Sullivan placed a suspension on fraternity activities through at least the start of the spring semester, and said the university planned to begin implementing substantial changes related to Greek life, sexual assault and the broader issue of campus safety. 

The story also came amid a variety of related incidents, including a number of women coming forward to claim that they were victims of sexual assaults by comedian Bill Cosby and a hearing into allegations of rape involving Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston.

The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Still, the vast majority of sexual assault reports are not unfounded. Research has shown that between 2 percent and 8 percent of sexual assault reports are false, but advocates of victims and survivors have still expressed concern that the crumbling of such a high profile story could make people less willing to believe victims. 

“While the details of this one case may have been misreported, this does not erase the somber truth this article brought to light: Rape is far more prevalent than we realize and it is often misunderstood and mishandled by peers, institutions, and society at large,” Alex Pinkleton, friend of Jackie's who also experienced sexual assault, told the Post. “We in the advocacy community at U-Va. will continue the work of making this issue accessible to our peers, guiding the conversation and our community into a place where sexual assaults are rare, where reporting processes are clear and adjudication is fair and compassionate."

Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations at the American Association of University Women, says the scrutiny of the case is going to be something survivors of campus sexual assault take into account when they decide whether to report the incidents. 

[MORE: White House Launches Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign, With Focus on Men]

"What they saw was a huge amount of scrutiny, a huge amount of pushback and that's exactly what they fear," Maatz says. "Quite frankly, people complain about false accusations more than there actually are false accusations."

Still, Maatz says it's important to keep in mind the issue of campus sexual assault is still widespread and underreported. When victims are reluctant to report instances of sexual assault, it's a reflection of a larger campus climate problem, she says. The University of Virginia is one of more than 80 colleges and universities under federal investigation for possible Title IX violations related to sexual violence.

"At the end of the day, what we really want is a place where we have a climate that not only promotes safety and encourages safety ... but really have compassionate processes and clear processes for what needs to happen when it does occur," Maatz says. "I think, quite frankly, we're not there yet. The more we talk about this, hopefully the closer we will get."