Columbia University dining staff promotes sexual violence prevention with sheet cake
Columbia's dining staff provided a sheet cake to students recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The cake read "Sexual Violence Prevention" and was adorned with rosebuds and other garnishes.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
A day before 23 students filed a federal complaint against the school for failing to properly handle sexual assault cases, Columbia University tackled sexual violence prevention by providing a sheet cake to students in the dining hall.
According to a university spokesperson, the cake—bearing the words “Sexual Violence Prevention” and adorned with rosebuds and what appears to be little mustaches—was the product of the university’s dining staff.
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“Today when many employees are wearing their Denim Day pins, some members of the Dining staff wanted to also who recognition of the initiative,” Columbia’s Dining Hall said in a statement provided to Campus Reform. “The cake was a well-meant, but inappropriate gesture by an employee in recognition of this important cause. The cake was removed almost immediately. We believe sexual violence is a serious issue not to be taken lightly in any form.”
Columbia proves that it takes sexual assault seriously with this cake it is serving in a dining hall pic.twitter.com/hJccRvO3Q6
— Anna Bahr (@anna_bahr) April 23, 2014
Columbia recognized April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month by sponsoring a few events during the month.
The university already has a shaky reputation for its alleged mishandling of sexual assault cases and prevention activities. And just yesterday 23 students filed Title IX, Title II and Clery complaints against Columbia for allegedly failing to adequately address reports of rape and sexual assault on campus.
“I don’t trust the University to take my experience or my safety more seriously than they take their own public image,” Cami Quarta, a complainant, said.
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