Katie Koestner: Difference between revisions

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| occupation = Activist against [[sexual assault]]

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'''Katherine H. Koestner''' is an American activist against [[sexual assault]]. She came forward in 1990 at 18 years- old<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-06-02|title=How I convinced the world you can be raped by your date|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36434191|access-date=2021-04-28}}</ref> publicly after aan alleged [[rape]] that took place on [[College of William & Mary|William and Mary]] campus which involved her and her date. Koestner started speaking out about her experience in 1991 by lecturing at other college campuses to raise awareness. She also volunteered in [[rape crisis centercenters in the United States|rape crisis centers]]s. She was featured in the media, including an [[HBO]] special, ''No Visible Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story'' (1993). Koestner's work and activism has helped the term "[[date rape]]" become part of the larger discussion around rape and sexual assault. Koestner founded several campus sexual assault prevention groups after graduating from the [[College of William & Mary]] in 1994. Koester is the current{{when|date=August 2023}} director of the [[Take Back the Night (organization)|Take Back The Night Foundation]], president of Campus Outreach Services and serves as an advisor for other organizations to help prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Koestner is from [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=":022">{{Cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68715473.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105012320/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68715473.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2018|title=W&M Students Split Over Ex-Student Who'll Speak About Sexual Assault|last=Walzer|first=Philip|date=April 14, 1996|work=The Virginian-Pilot|access-date=October 24, 2018|url-access=subscription |via=HighBeam Research}}</ref> She graduated from [[Cumberland Valley High School]] in [[Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania]], in the spring of 1990. In the fall of 1990, she enrolled in [[College of William & Mary|William and Mary]] (W&M) where she planned to study [[chemical engineering]] and [[Japanese language|Japanese]].<ref name=":022" /><ref name=":922">{{Cite news|url=https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/2015/10/07/safety-expert-speaks-ec-koestner/73543332/|title=Date rape: Her experience first brought it to light|last=Jamieson|first=Bob|date=October 7, 2015|work=Elmira Star-Gazette|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> Koestner was allegedly [[rape]]d by a student she had been dating for just over a week.<ref name=":1022">{{Cite web|url=http://flathatnews.com/2017/01/23/making-the-personal-political-katie-koestner-94-speaks-out-changes-national-conversation-on-rape/|title=Making the personal political: Katie Koestner '94 speaks out, changes national conversation on rape|last=Grave|first=Leonor|date=January 23, 2017|website=Flat Hat News|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> She had invited the student back to her [[Dormitory|dorm room]] after a date.<ref name=":162">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24814374/|title=Date-Rape Gains Attention After Years as Taboo Topic|last1=Olen|first1=Helaine|date=April 23, 1991|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 24, 2018|last2=Ostrow|first2=Ronald J.|via=Newspapers.com}} and {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24814442/|title=Date-Rape: Change in Victims' Attitudes Seen|date=April 23, 1991|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 24, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> They had gone on a date to a [[French cuisine|French restaurant]] and Koestner wanted to spend time alone with him afterwards.<ref name=":1022" /> After inviting him in, she says he began to pressure her to have sex with him, continuing to pressure until nearly dawn.<ref name=":162" /> She ended up being pinned against her pink carpet by her date.<ref name=":1122">{{Cite news|title=Rape Victim tells Story of Assault|last=Young|first=Kelly E.|date=May 13, 1997|work=Stanford Daily}}</ref><ref name="bbc22">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36434191|title=How I convinced the world you can be raped by your date|date=June 2, 2016|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=November 4, 2018}}</ref> Koestner said that she felt tired and weak after hours of arguing about sex and said, "He just wore me down all night. I couldn't do anything."<ref name=":522">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1991/04/07/students-date-rape-complaint-jolts-william-and-mary/f0f9511f-f108-458d-abf6-a4d35efcc925/|title=STUDENT'S DATE-RAPE COMPLAINT JOLTS WILLIAM AND MARY|last=LaFay|first=Laura|date=April 7, 1991|worknewspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 25, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> She said her date "climbed on top of her and had sex despite her alleged protests."<ref name=":722">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25028659/|title=Don't Blame Katie Koestner for Her Story|date=January 15, 1993|work=Daily Press|access-date=November 1, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She said she felt "paralyzed" and that "he had a ginormous ego, and had always had what he wanted in life".<ref name="bbc22" />

Koestner did not receive any kind of medical examination until 24 hours had passed.<ref name=":222">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780822317135|url-access=registration|quote=Katie Koestner.|title=The Myth of Political Correctness: The Conservative Attack on Higher Education|last=Wilson|first=John K.|date=1995|publisher=[[Duke University Press]]|location=Durham, North Carolina|isbn=0822317133|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780822317135/page/110 110]}}</ref> Her former date left her notes and friends tried to arrange a meeting between them, hoping things could be patched up between them.<ref name="bbc22" /> She met him in his dorm lounge where she confronted him and asked if he'd had heard her say "no.".<ref name="bbc22" /> He countered by saying that he heard that Koestner's father was angry with her for no longer being a [[Virginity|virgin]]."<ref name="bbc22" /> Koestner also felt that her alleged rape was not "taken seriously" by the school nurse who advised her to take [[Hypnotic|sleeping pills]] and "rest the events off" instead of getting a [[rape kit]].<ref name=":822">{{Cite news|title=No Official Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story|last=McAfee|first=Michelle|date=April 17, 1997|work=Broadside}}</ref> Instead of filing a [[Complaint|police report]], she was asked to pursue an administrative hearing at W&M.<ref name=":222" /> The [[Dean (education)|dean of students]] told her it was easier to pursue her complaint through the judicial process at the college.<ref name=":522" /> During the hearing, the alleged rapist said he never heard Koestner say "no", as she claims, at least 12 times that night.<ref name=":822" /> It was decided at the hearing that there should not be a severe punishment for the rape and the perpetrator was allowed to stay "on campus on the condition that he not enter anyone's living quarters."<ref name=":222" /> There were "mitigating circumstances" according to administrators that allowed the alleged rapist to stay on campus.<ref name=":322">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24816662/|title=Colleges Aren't Taking Rape Seriously Enough|last=Spencer|first=Jim|date=April 5, 1991|work=The Anniston Star|access-date=October 25, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

In 1991, Koestner transferred to [[Cornell University]], but came back to W&M after a year after the student who allegedly raped her had been temporarily suspended.<ref name=":022"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25029351/|title=Woman Tells of Date With Pain, Betrayal|last=Sorra|first=Cecile|date=April 30, 1993|work=The Daily Item|access-date=November 1, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Controversy over her paid role in a planned [[HBO]] dramatization about her experience led to the creation of a petition that asked for the "man's point of view" to be considered in the story.<ref name=":022"/> The leader of the petition campaign was the current girlfriend of Koestner's alleged rapist.<ref name=":122">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25106960/|title=Students Question Date-Rape Program|last=Smith|first=Matt|date=January 13, 1993|work=Daily Press|access-date=November 4, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} and {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25107044/|title=Program|date=January 13, 1993|work=Daily Press|access-date=November 4, 2018|page=B2|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The petition signers said that the name of the alleged rapist was known on the small campus and that he would be "ruined."<ref name=":132" /> The school paper received letters to the editor criticizing Koestner for not reporting the rape sooner.<ref name=":722"/> Koestner appeared in the HBO dramatization, ''No Visible Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story'' in 1993.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Speaker Shares Rape Story|last=Saulsgiver|first=Kathryn|date=January 14, 1998|work=Alligator}}</ref> ''No Visible Bruises'' was a 1/2 hour special that was part of HBO's series, ''[[Lifestories: Families in Crisis|Life Stories: Families in Crisis]]''.<ref name=":122" /> Koestner started giving workshops about preventing sexual assault and also on sexual assault policies on college campuses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25029299/|title=Internationally-known Date-rape Survivor, Katie Koestner, Will Speak Sept. 29 at GWU|date=September 23, 1998|work=The Gaffney Ledger|access-date=November 1, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Koestner to Speak on Date-Rape|last=Ipsen|first=Beth|date=February 10, 1991|work=Angelo State RamPage}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Date Rape Victim Speaks Out|last=Saucer|first=Caroline|date=May 18, 1994|work=Finger Lake Times}}</ref> Her appearances were considered "divisive" by some students at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25029114/|title=Activist's Presence Divides, Then Teaches Seminary Students|last=Karolyi|first=Anne|date=February 15, 1995|work=The Times Leader|access-date=November 1, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Koestner graduated from W&M in 1994, majoring in public policy and [[women's studies]].<ref name=":022"/><ref name=":1022"/>

Koestner founded the educational organization, Campus Outreach Services in 1994.<ref name=":922"/> She also founded Students Helping Others to Understand Trauma (SHOUT) at [[Cornell University]] and at W&M started the Sexual Assault Companions Program.<ref name=":152">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25108285/|title=Date Rape Topic of Denison Conference|last=DeRosa, II|first=Edward J.|date=October 8, 2000|work=The Newark Advocate|access-date=November 4, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She also volunteered at a rape crisis center and became a certified peer-educator ad sexual assault counselor in Virginia.<ref name=":1022"/><ref name=":152" /> She became the executive director of the [[Take Back the Night (organization)|Take Back the Night Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Looker|first=Rachel|title=Take Back the Night Speaker talked about relationship violence|work=The Wood Word|date=November 15, 2015|url=https://www.thewoodword.org/news/2015/11/15/take-back-the-night-speaker-talked-about-relationship-violence/|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> She has been published online and in print.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.katiekoestner.com/publications/|title=Publications|website=Katie Koestner|date=February 13, 2018 |access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> It was Koestner's efforts that brought the concept and term "date rape" to public attention.<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":142" /> Koestner was the first victim of alleged date rape to publicly come forward about her experience.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25029598/|title=Rape Victim to Speak at MPTC|date=October 2, 2014|work=Fond Du Lac Commonwealth Reporter|access-date=November 1, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

* [https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36434191 Interview]