Paige G. Trapp

Student, Texas State University

On behalf of Student Advocates for Title IX Accountability & Survivor Justice

San Marcos, Texas, 78666

 

October 5, 2026

Dr. Kelly Damphousse

President, Texas State University

Dean of Students Office

Texas State University Board of Regents 

San Marcos, Texas, 78666

 

Subject: Open Letter: Demands for Title IX Transparency, Institutional Accountability, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Sexual Violence Prevention Interventions

 

Dear Dr. Kelly Damphousse,

 Across the United States, students, survivors, and advocates are watching the legal proceedings surrounding the “Cornell 7” case with outrage. The allegations detailed in the litigation expose systemic failures in how higher education institutions process complaints of sexual assault, handle reports, and shield administrators from public liability. 
Violence is the intentional use of power to cause harm (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Culturally and legally, society reduces sexual violence to a single isolated action, a discrete event that takes place in a moment of time. In reality, that single event is only an arbitrary beginning.  The men who witness harm and choose to do nothing participate in systemic sexual violence. The school administrators allow perpetrators to remain on campus with minimal or no consequences commit systemic sexual violence. The law enforcement officers and officials who alter, minimize, or mischaracterize survivor reports commit systemic sexual violence. 
This environment is perpetuated by the systemic permission granted to men to exert power and control without accountability. Until higher education leaders and administrative bodies are comfortable confronting and addressing all forms of sexual violence, including passive bystander culture, police misconduct, and administrative risk management, we will not see this intentional use of force disappear. 
For students at Texas State University, the Cornell 7 case is not a distant headline. It is a reflection of our own lived experiences with an administrative system that dismisses violence. To address sexual violence on our campus, we must move past generic statements of concern and confront our own institutional records.
According to Texas State University’s mandatory reporting disclosures from September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025:

636 total reports of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking were received by Texas State University employees.  Of 636 reports not a single disciplinary process was initiated, not a single policy vilotion was recognized.  There were no student disciplinary sanctions and no employee disciplinary sanctions.

636 incidents of sexual misconduct were reported to university personnel, yielding zero disciplinary sanctions (Texas State University, 2026). 
 This is part of a troubling historical trend. As documented by The University Star, Texas State University experienced a 135% increase in reported rape and stalking cases in 2023 (Leschber, B., 2025; Texas State University, 2025). While Texas State’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report listS broad commitments to safety, such as victim support services, reporting campaigns, and security enhancements. 
This passive reliance on online orientation modules and post-incident risk management fails to reduce violence. Empirical research in public health, psychology, and campus safety demonstrates that primary prevention requires active, structural, and evidence-based interventions. To transform campus climate, Texas State University must implement the following research-backed strategies:
Comprehensive, Multi-Session Bystander Intervention
One-time informational presentations during new-student orientation do not produce long-term behavioral changes. Multi-session, dosage-based bystander training programs, such as Green Dot or Bringing in the Bystander, are among the few interventions with empirical proof of reducing sexual violence perpetration and victimization rates across entire campus populations (Coker et al., 2017; DeGue et al., 2014). 
Independent and Fully Funded Confidential Survivor Advocacy
When survivor support services operate under the same administrative umbrella as institutional legal liability offices, trust deteriorates. Research indicates that independent, confidential victim advocates who operate with complete structural separate from Title IX adjudication increase reporting transparency, survivor retention, and emotional well-being (MacLean et al., 2026; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2018). 
Recurring, Anonymized Campus Climate Surveys
 Official reports represent only a fraction of actual campus incidents due to fear of retaliation or institutional inaction. Publicly disseminated, anonymized campus climate surveys provide an accurate baseline of prevalence, highlighting high risk environments and tracking the efficacy of prevention programs over time (Cantor et al., 2020; NASEM, 2018). 
Dosage-based, Continuous Consent and Primary Prevention Education
Primary prevention requires continuous education throughout a student’s academic career rather than a single digital checklist completed prior to course registration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021) emphasizes that effective primary prevention must address social norms, healthy relationship dynamics, alcohol expectancies, and power imbalances across multiple touchpoints. 
 We urge the Texas State University administration to adopt the following measures immediately:
Publish Quarterly Title IX Resolution Metrics: Provide transparent, anonymized quarterly updates detailing the exact status, timeline, and disposition of all reports submitted under TEC Section 51.252. 
Reallocate Resources to Independent Advocacy: Expand funding for confidential victim advocates within the Student Health Center and Counseling Center, ensuring staff-to-student ratios meet national safety standards. 
Form a Joint Student-Faculty Oversight Committee: Establish an independent committee composed of student leaders, survivor advocates, and faculty researchers to review campus Title IX procedures and monitor the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs.
We submit this letter alongside the signatures and voices of Texas State University students who refuse to let 636 reports pass without meaningful institutional action.

Sincerely,

Paige Trapp
Texas State University, Class of 2027
On behalf of undersigned students, faculty, and community members

References

Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Chibnall, S., Harps, S., Thomas, R., Howard, L., ... & Martin, B. (2020). Report on the AAU campus climate survey on sexual assault and misconduct. Association of American Universities. 

Coker, A. L., Bush, H. M., Cook-Craig, P. G., DeGue, S. A., Clear, E. R., Brancato, C. J., Fisher, B. S., & Recktenwald, E. A. (2017). RCT Testing Bystander Effectiveness to Reduce Violence. American journal of preventive medicine, 52(5), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.01.020 

DeGue, S., Valle, L. A., Holt, M. K., Massetti, G. M., Matjasko, J. L., & Tharp, A. T. (2014). A systematic review of primary prevention strategies for sexual violence perpetration. Aggression and violent behavior, 19(4), 346–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2014.05.004 

Leschber, B. (2025, September 27). Texas state reports 135% increase in rapes, 200% increase in hate crimes in 2023 annual security fire and safety report. The University Star. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://universitystar.com/24080/news/texas-state-reports-135-increase-in-rapes-200-increase-in-hate-crimes-additional-increases-in-assaults-and-burglaries-in-2023-annual-security-fire-and-safety-report/

MacLean, K., Watson, L., O’Leary, M., Cotter, M. M., Lancaster, C., Pletsch, V. M., & Mumford, E. A. (2026). Trauma-Informed Approaches to Campus Sexual Assault Response: A Mixed-Methods Study. Violence Against Women, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012261432608 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Violence. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violence 

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Policy and Global Affairs, Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine, Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academia, Benya, F. F., Widnall, S. E., & Johnson, P. A. (Eds.). (2018). Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. National Academies Press (US). https://doi.org/10.17226/24994 

Texas State University. (2025, October 1). Texas State University Releases Annual clery act report, emphasizing safety and transparency. Newsroom : Texas State University. https://news.txst.edu/inside-txst/2025/clery-act-report.html

Texas State University. (2026). Annual security and fire safety report. https://www.clery.txstate.edu/ 

Violence definition & meaning - merriam-webster. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violence