Date Rape Survivor in Landmark Case to Tell Her Story to Essex Students

Katie Koestner, a woman who was a victim of date rape in 1990 while a freshman in college, will speak at to Essex County students on Nov. 2.

The crimes committed against Koestner made national news the following year in a Time magazine cover article, and she has been telling her story ever since.

Ms. Koestner will present the free program, “No-Yes: A Survivor Speaks,” Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Essex County College Newark and West Essex campuses. She will speak at 11 a.m. on the West Essex campus, and at 2:30 p.m. at Newark in Smith Hall. She will also present a special workshop, “From Hurt to Healing,” at 2 p.m., also in Smith Hall.

Koestner has given more than 1,500 talks on student safety issues.

“Making it (date rape) personal is much more effective than just talking about statistics,” Koestner responded when asked why she chooses to speak about her experiences.

The first victim of date rape to speak out publicly, she has also appeared on such shows as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Geraldo, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and NBC Nightly News. HBO produced the movie, “No Visible Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story,” in 1993.

Following the attack at the College of William and Mary, Koestner transferred to Cornell University while the college’s judicial process played out. After her attacker (who she had met earlier that semester) was subsequently accused of a second attack, she decided to transfer back to William and Mary.

“They eventually allowed him back in school while I was still a student; it was really the dark ages,” she noted, in regards to the handling of sexual assault and date rape.

Koestner was able to remain focused on her school work and graduated with a 3.87 grade point average and Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Women’s Studies.

Today, she is executive director of Campus Outreach Services, a national sexual violence resources center, and the Take Back the Night Foundation.

The upcoming program at Essex County College is sponsored by the College’s Student Life and Activities Office. For additional information, call 973.877.3064.

About Essex County College

Essex County College is a fully accredited public community college with a total enrollment of more than 16,000 students pursuing Associate degrees and Certificates in more than 40 areas of study on campuses in Newark, West Caldwell (West Essex) and Cedar Grove (Police Academy).

Essex sends more transfer students to Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Montclair State University than any other college.

Since 2012, Essex has been the leading two-year institution in the nation in producing Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholars who receive up to a $90,000 award from this prestigious organization.

Ranked the most affordable two-year college in New Jersey by the U.S. Department of Education, Essex is New Jersey’s only two-year College designated a Predominantly Black and a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Recently, Essex County College was selected as a 2014 Military Friendly School by Victory Media. For more information, click here.

Photo and additional information courtesy of Wayne Yourstone, Essex County College