Naval Academy Participates In Campaign To Stop Sex Assaults

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- One in five college women are sexually assaulted before they graduate. It's an alarming figure that the White House is taking on. Now, a slew of universities are backing the campaign to stop it.

As Gigi Barnett explains, the Naval Academy is the latest university to join in.

"Our nation's success depends on how we value the rights of women and girls," said President Barack Obama.

So last month, he launched his It's On Us Campaign, encouraging college students to recognize sexual assault on campus---and stop it.

"We still don't condemn sexual assault as loudly as we should. We make excuses. We look the other way. The message that sends can have a chilling effect on our young women," said President Obama.

Now the president has some help.

"Preventing sexual assault and relationship violence is our responsibility," said a commercial.

Several universities are joining Obama in the campaign. Stanford University students created a public service announcement. Then the US Military Academy launched theirs. This week, the Naval Academy joined in.

"We do see this as a global problem," said Naval Academy Spokesman Commander John Schofield.

The academy has not been immune to sexual assault. Last year, allegations emerged against three Navy football players who were accused of assaulting a female midshipman while she was intoxicated at an off-campus party. Charges against two of them were dropped and earlier this year, the third was acquitted.

Schofield says students and alumni will see the announcements at football games and it was emailed to all of the academy's 4,500 midshipmen this week.

"Sexual assault is incongruent with our core values here," said Schofield.

Several Hollywood stars have also joined the It's On Us Campaign.

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