Students protest Moorpark College's handling of sexual harassment claims

Dozens of Moorpark College drama students and their supporters gathered Thursday on Collins Drive near the campus to protest what they say has been the school’s inaction over sexual harassment claims.

The protestors dressed in black, the same color sported by celebrities on red carpets during the #MeToo movement against sexual violence, and held signs that said, “No more predators on campus” and “Moorpark College protects my abuser.”

The protest was organized by theater arts students who say the college failed to protect them from one man who repeatedly stalked and harassed them, even after they filed complaints under Title IX, a 1972 federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. Others at the protest said they have filed Title IX complaints against other male students to the same results.

In a statement Thursday, the Ventura County Community College District, which oversees Moorpark College, said it “takes all sexual harassment concerns very seriously” and investigates all reports of sexual violence and harassment “regardless of whether a student has filed a complaint, and regardless of the location of the incident, if it interferes with a student’s education.”

“The district’s primary concern is student safety. To protect the privacy of all parties involved, the VCCCD is unable to comment on any specific details of cases,” the statement says.

Isa Rojas, one of the organizers, said she filed a complaint against a fellow student in March but continued to be stalked and harassed by him. Rojas said she organized Thursday’s protest because she continues to hear women report the same type of mistreatment on campus. She said Moorpark College has a pattern of mishandling harassment claims.

“Do we not matter? Do our voices not matter?” she said Thursday over a bullhorn at the protest.

The crowd responded with chants of “Protect students, not predators.” Later they chanted, "We don't feel safe."

Students take to social media

Issues within Moorpark College's Department of Theater Arts became public this month when students posted about their experiences on social media. On Dec. 7, Rojas posted a story on Instagram, detailing her experience filing a Title IX complaint against a male drama student.

Three days later, theater student Talia Guzman posted a TikTok video about what happened after she, then 18, reported a sexual assault by the same male student, who is eight years her senior and had other Title IX complaints filed against him.

Drama student Olivia Vazquez also shared her experiences on Instagram and TikTok, detailing how after she filed a harassment complaint against the same male student, he started stalking her and would attend classes in which he was not enrolled to sit behind her.

The three women said they heard from other students who similarly filed complaints against the male student.

In response to the public outcry the posts elicited, the college held two forums this month so students and faculty could make public comments and attend a training session on the sexual harassment grievance process under Title IX, which is a civil, rather than a criminal law. When a complaint is filed, the school issues a do not contact order between the parties, Rojas said.

To help students navigate the Title IX process, the district said Moorpark College will enlist health center employees to help students find services on and off-campus, as well as other assistance.

Aly Moacanin, 20, said when she got to college, she thought sexual misconduct claims would be taken seriously.

“When you go to an authority figure, you expect them to look out for you, especially at school. When they don’t, it just makes you lose all hope, and it makes you less likely to report these things in the future,” the Moorpark resident said.

T.J. Alvisi, 22, said some victims of harassment felt so unsafe that they disenrolled from the school. The Simi Valley resident said he attended the protest to show support to the victims, one of whom is a close personal friend.

“I don’t want her to be silenced, and I want Moorpark College to do something about it,” he said.

Thursday’s protest also attracted members of the regional theater community.

Hayley Silvers, a Tarzana-based drama teacher, said she has been recommending Moorpark College as a safe place to her students for years.

“I’m finding out that it is not,” she said. “As a theater professional, I want to stand up and say this is not the kind of thing we can allow to happen in our communities and this is not the kind of thing we’re going to take anymore.”

A district spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions regarding what training professors and administrators receive regarding Title IX or if the district could confirm that Moorpark College employees complied with the necessary policies and procedures in handling such cases.

When asked what change she would like to see, Rojas said she wanted the community to have greater awareness of the extent of the problem. She also said she wants an apology from the school and a plan on how school leaders are going to change their handling of harassment claims moving forward.

“I want predators to be punished, and I want victims to get justice,” she said.

Dawn Megli is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at dawn.megli@vcstar.com or @ReporterDawn. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark College students protest sexual harassment, stalking