In an earlier version of this story, U-News incorrectly stated that UMKC’s Title iX investigation is still in progress. The investigation has ended. Because the incident occurred off campus, it did not fall under the jurisdiction of the UMKC police department.
A year after an alleged sexual assault by three UMKC students, Eleonore Fischer is speaking out about her life after the incident and what she did to take action.
The assault allegedly occurred during a party Fischer attended at a friend’s house on the 4900 block of Tracey avenue early last November.
After filing a report with UMKC’s campus police, Fischer tweeted her experience from the party.
Soon after, other girls came forward about their experiences with the same three men.
One of the biggest impacts of the incident was the press that followed.
“Journalists and news anchors found my address and started knocking on my door and leaving cards,” Fischer said. “It was overwhelming. I hated it. I wasn’t allowed any time to heal. Everyone just demanded that I prove myself. They got my phone number, I had 50+ messages from different news stations calling over and over.”
Unaware that the incident would affect her studies, Fischer immediately stopped attending classes.
“I stopped attending school during this time because there was nothing to protect me on campus,” Fischer said. “After the incident, I immediately dyed my hair from a bright pink color I loved to brown so I’d be less recognizable.”
Students all over campus were talking about her, and she said this left her feeling very alone.
“I got to walk around campus feeling the stares, and wondered if it was coming from someone that felt sorry for me because I was damaged, or someone that thought I was a liar,” Fischer recalled. “I didn’t want either option.”
At one point in the evening of the party where Fischer was assaulted, she decided to step outside for fresh air. That’s when she says three men approached her.
“I had to ask one of them twice to stop touching my arm,” Fischer said. “I walked into the kitchen to get away from them and pulled out my phone to text a friend.”
Ignoring her requests to be left alone, she says the three men proceeded to close in on her.
“They immediately followed, I locked my phone so I could be aware of what was happening,” Fischer said. “All three of the guys started undoing their pants and pulling them down, one to his knees, and I tried to get out of the room when they blocked the doorway and pulled me by the arm to keep me in.”
Fischer says she was eventually able to escape the situation by pushing past the two men in front of the door.
“If I had been drinking, I can only imagine that situation would have ended up much differently,” Fisher said.
Now, Fisher is continuing to focus on life outside of school.
