Biden Speaks At Naval Academy, Continues Anti-Sexual Assault Campaign

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the Naval Academy on Monday continuing the U.S. campaign combating sexual assault on college campuses and the military.

Marcus Washington reports from Annapolis for WJZ.

Biden challenged midshipmen at the Naval Academy in Annapolis to individually speak out against sexual violence.

Biden wrote the Violence Against Women Act in 1990, and since then he's had a history of advocating for similar social justice causes.

"Sexual violence is the ultimate equal opportunity employer," he said. "It occurs in the wealthiest communities and in the poorest communities. It occurs on campuses with the highest SAT scores, as well as those with the lowest SAT scores."

Biden has been touring college campuses with the White House on its "It's On Us" sexual assault prevention campaign.

More than 250,000 students have signed the pledge so far. And for some, this issue is personal.

"During my junior year of high school, a really close friend of mine told me she was sexually assaulted by a teacher of hers," said Naval Academy midshipman, Shaquil Keels.

In 2013, an unidentified midshipman spoke exclusively to CBS about the year prior when she said she was sexually assaulted by three of her counterparts.

"I have outside witnesses," she said. "The attackers bragged about it. They told me to my face what they did."

The number of sexual assault reports at U.S. military service academies has been going down. There were 200 fewer reports in 2014 than there were in 2012.

"The importance of peer education is that they are all leading each other," said John Schofield, U.S. Naval Academy. "That better prepares them to go out into the fleet and the Marine Corps and be leaders of consequence."

Biden will be continuing the nationwide tour by visiting Morehouse College, Clemson University and the University of Pennsylvania.