Photographs by William Taufic.
Shocked to learn of the sexual assault epidemic on college campuses, Westporters Sandi and John Fifield launched the nonprofit organization Culture of Respect. An artist and architect, respectively, the Fifields were “just parents,” not experts, but they had the tenacity and the courage to tackle a delicate issue.
“There was such a lack of information on the topic,” explains Sandi. “Our initial goal was to create a portal—cultureofrespect.org—where students, survivors, parents, administrators and faculty members could find helpful, evidence-based information and emergency resources.”
The Fifields reached out to experts at top universities. “They told us: ‘Do it! No one has done this before,’” recalls Sandi. “We developed an extraordinary advisory board and research team to create the portal. But to really effect a cultural shift on campuses, we knew we needed another step.” The Fifields proceeded to form the Culture of Respect CORE Blueprint, which includes clear policies on adjudication and investigations, prevention education programs across all four years, and an emphasis on open communication from the college president on down. John notes, “Engaging all constituents is what will effect change.”
“There was nothing but silence on this issue a few years ago,” Sandi says. She adds that “80 percent of sexual assaults are committed by acquaintances, and 43 percent of college-age men said they used some method of coercion to obtain sex.”
However, since a presidential task force was created in 2014, the couple points out that awareness has increased. “There are more Title IX lawsuits than ever before and more survivors are willing to come forward,” says Sandi. The Fifields are thrilled to have Culture of Respect pilot programs in place on fourteen college campuses including Sacred Heart University, University of Wisconsin and California State San Bernardino. Maxwell Love, former president of the United States Student Association, comments, “I see Culture of Respect as representing a system change in the way we think about assessing and preventing sexual assault on campus. It is surely one of the most effective tools to change behavior.”
With more funding, the Fifields envision taking their program to the high school and junior high levels. “This is really about positive citizenship,” says Sandi. “Of course, it starts at home, but it needs to be reinforced at school.”
John adds, “There’s a whole section of videos on our site, which are good for teenagers, as well as questions parents should ask when touring colleges.” Being an alert bystander is a key lesson. “Twenty-two percent of women are assaulted on campus [and it’s not just women],” says Sandi. “All students need to be aware and help.”
The couple has no plans to stop anytime soon. Sandi mentions a roundtable meeting she attended at the White House last year: “Joe Biden thanked us for our work and that was enough to push us forward!”
John also serves on the board of Westport’s Earthplace and Franklin Street Works in Stamford. The couple has a twenty-seven-year-old son and twenty-four-year-old daughter. Both say their kids are their inspiration: “We want the next generation to see a kinder world.” »