Vandy rape trial call to action: Fight sexual assault

The lasting legacy of the Vanderbilt rape trial should be an intolerance toward sexual assault of any kind, an intolerance toward failing to accept responsibility due to drunkenness and an intolerance to doing nothing when others are harmed.

Unlike an intolerance that results in automatic shunning or new zero-tolerance punishment policies, it should be about loudly and openly engaging people in conversations about the consequences of rape to all involved.

To the woman who was raped and permanently scarred.

To the young men who ruined their lives and will not live up to their potential.

To the reputation of an esteemed institution of higher education.

To all of us as a community.

This trial was painful and revealed horrible truths about the extent of heinous behavior fed by a culture of irresponsibility and shaming.

The details of the rape were graphic and brutal, and The Tennessean chose to share many of those details precisely because they exposed the severity of the crime.

A helpless woman was defiled, humiliated and left unaided in her greatest hour of need.

Former Vanderbilt football players Brandon Vandenburg, 21, and Cory Batey, 21, spent three weeks in a courtroom under the scrutiny of the law, their peers and the community to face the facts of the case.

Vandenburg chose not to testify, but Batey took the stand and apologized to his accuser, saying he was too drunk to control his behavior.

He may never recollect the events of the evening of June 23, 2013. However, he, Vandenburg and the other young men who helped them obscure their crime or turned a blind eye must always live with the consequences that they were monsters that evening.

Vandenburg and Batey were found guilty of all charges Tuesday.

This trial uncovered abuse. It exposed a culture of overindulgence — of alcohol, of smugness, of entitlement, of pride and of shameful loyalty, known colloquially as the "bro code."

There was a failure of fortitude in addition to sobriety.

This trial must help strengthen the resolve around campuses to make sexual violence discussions and training regular occurrences.

It's a positive sign that 70 schools, including Vanderbilt, were participating in a two-day summit Tuesday and Wednesday at Tennessee State University to fight sexual violence. Let it be noted, however, that planning started only when the U.S. Department of Education created new rules requiring colleges and universities to be more responsive to sexual assaults and to better track these crimes.

Yet, it's not enough.

The entire community needs to rally around stopping violence, including sexual assault against anyone.

These victims are our daughters, sisters, mothers and, to a lesser but still significant extent, our sons and brothers.

We must fight stereotypes, the culture of reckless sex and wanton alcohol abuse, and protect others from becoming victims.

We must fight the epidemic of sexual assault on campus that has already ruined too many lives.

Opinion Engagement Editor David Plazas wrote this editorial on behalf of The Tennessean Editorial Board. Call him at (615) 259-0863, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet him at @davidplazas.