Former CCU student's post about sexual assault on campus goes viral

Coastal Carolina University has recently been involved in a viral Facebook post regarding an alleged sexual assault on campus. On Thursday, Jan. 11, former CCU student Geanie Thurman posted to Facebook claiming she was the survivor an assault on campus that took place back on Nov. 1, 2018.

According to Thurman, the alleged incident happened on Coastal Carolina’s campus.

Thurman explains she experienced multiple wrongdoings after coming to campus police including being removed from her classes she shared with the person who committed the assault.

“I have never felt so unsafe somewhere in my life,” Thurman stated in her Facebook post. “I contacted the Universities Police immediately the next day and 3 months later they have yet to do ONE thing about it. They made me leave MY class because he was in there, instead of removing the rapist. They violated my rights and made me sit in an interrogation room with two men across from me asking me questions and wouldn't allow my advocate to enter the room, which was MY right to have her in there.”

Thurman also says she did not receive all the proper requirements of the Title IX process in that they did not allow her advocate to remain in the interrogation room. Title IX is a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX states that ‘No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance’.

Thurman’s post also says the school repeatedly denied her requests to have the alleged suspect removed from campus.

“I found out not only was this the investigators FIRST rape case, but it hasn’t been the first rape case on campus that semester,” she said in the post.

The post has been met with overwhelming support on Facebook. As of Saturday, Jan. 26, the post has been shared more than 4,750 times, received more than 3,700 likes and over 1,400 comments.

Coastal Carolina University has a history of being aware of what goes on involving the University on social media. The University is always uploading responses about other viral posts that involve either current students or alumni, but contrary to their regular course of action, the school has yet to comment publicly on the issue.

Peter Paquette, Dean of Students at Coastal Carolina, explained why the University has yet to make a statement to the campus community and to the public amid these allegations.

“We cannot release the outcomes of any conduct case,” said Paquette. “From an investigation that is happening, we do not want to jeopardize anybody who is involved.”

Since Facebook is not widely used amongst the 18-22 demographic, many students did not even see the post.

Aaron Kanagy, a sophomore at Coastal Carolina, explained how he had not seen the post firsthand but overheard people talking about it.

“It’s hard to believe how something like that can happen here,” he said. “It doesn’t affect me as much personally, being a male, but it does make me worry about my girlfriend who will be coming here next year.”

Thurman mentioned in her post that she did not write this post to “bash Coastal Carolina”.

“The academics there are absolutely great, and you have so many learning opportunities,” Thurman said in her post. Thats why it breaks my heart that i got so mentally ruined by a horny boy who wouldn't stop when told. I had a dream, and a plan, but my mental health is so much more important.”

According to her post, Thurman says that she has withdrawn from CCU and will be attending Wingate University in the fall of 2019 as a biology and zoologist major.

The Chanticleer has reached out to University officials for comment but have not yet heard back at this time.