Read on Twitter
First semester sophomore year, I came home to my two roommates at around 3 in the morning, crying, and in a blood-soaked white skirt. A Vanderbilt football player, Randall Haynie, had sexually assaulted me. (1/9)
I woke up the next day to my roommates squished in my tiny college twin bed, consoling me and asking if I was okay. They told me that they lost me at the party we’d gone out together to last night. I had come home crying at 3 am and in the same clothes from that night. (2/9)
I had walked home alone from Tolman Hall to Highland Quad that night. Prior to this event, I/d been around Randall numerous times while intoxicated, even passing out in the same room as him multiple times after a drunken night out. We were good friends and I trusted him. (3/9)
My white skirt was soaked red when I arrived home because I had just started my cycle. I was on the heaviest day of my period. Though Randall initially avoided talking to me, his only comment was that he was upset he had to buy new sheets because there was so much blood. (4/9)
Not only did Randall proceed to text the guy that I had started seeing “Btw, I fucked Amalie. Now it’s your turn,” (an attempt at slut shaming me), but he also told me directly to my face that (5/9)
he knew that I not only did not want to have sex with him, but that I was not in a position to give consent. He “took his opportunity,” (a direct quote), given that I was very drunk at the time. Following him trying to slut shame me, Randall refused to stay away from me. (6/9)
At numerous parties I hosted at my own dorm, I specifically told Randall and his friends he was not welcome. In response, I was told that if Randall couldn’t come, the rest of his football player friends wouldn’t come either; I was threatened that they would leave. (7/9)
Rather than support the fact that I did not want the boy who had sexually assaulted me in my OWN room, I was faced with either dealing with it or exposing the fact that I had been sexually assaulted to people, something that I had not even told my parents. (8/9)
Telling my dad was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but telling a bunch strangers like this on Twitter is pretty damn hard too. Thank you to everyone who has spoken out and given me the strength to share my story. (9/9)
Fellow team members and even mutual friends protected or continued to be friends with @r5_era even after hearing what happened. I hope sharing my story helps change the culture of the football team and encourages other women like me to speak up.
