January 25, 2022 – WCASA condemns the Senate’s passage of AB 411, a harmful bill that will prohibit race or sex stereotyping in any anti-racism and anti-sexism instruction/training in K-12 schools. However, the language in this legislation is so broad that it will inherently create a chilling effect on offering anti-racism and anti-sexism instruction to… Read more »

December 6, 2021 – WCASA applauds Governor Evers for signing SB 71 and SB 94, legislation that improves how Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs) are handled and that establishes a SAK tracking system, respectively. Collectively, these bills will help ensure Wisconsin does not experience another backlog of unsubmitted SAKs in the future. We would also like… Read more »

We are extremely disappointed, although sadly not surprised, by the jury’s verdict acquitting Kyle Rittenhouse. The jury’s verdict exemplifies the racism which is embedded within the criminal legal system in this country. In the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse came to Kenosha with an AR-15 gun – and was allowed… Read more »

For Immediate Release: November 11, 2021 Contact: Olivia Hall, o.hall@joyfulheartfoundation.org or Ian Henderson, ianh@wcasa.org  NEW YORK — Today, the Joyful Heart Foundation and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault applaud Wisconsin representatives in their passage of SB71 and SB94—two bills that together would vastly increase transparency around sexual assault kit handling and storage. SB71 and… Read more »

Today, Governor Tony Evers announced that he would be allocating $45 million for crime victim services and violence prevention efforts, administered by the Department of Justice and the  Department of Administration, respectively. This timing is critical, arriving as the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding decreases. VOCA grant recipients face a 30% cut over the next two years, which would be devastating for programs and the critical services they… Read more »

September 29, 2021 – WCASA condemns the Assembly’s passage of AB 411 and AB 414, two harmful bills that will prohibit race or sex stereotyping in any anti-racism and anti-sexism instruction/training in K-12 schools and for state/local government employees. However, the language in this legislation is so broad that it will inherently create a chilling… Read more »

During the past week, we have witnessed a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan before our eyes. We have long known that women and children are often the first to experience violence, including sexual violence, during times of war and insecurity, and the crisis in Afghanistan is no different. While these events may seem far away,… Read more »

While we were extremely disheartened to learn that Bill Cosby’s conviction was overturned on procedural grounds today, our first thoughts are with the brave survivors who came forward to not only report their assaults but to testify in court. To them, and to all survivors, we unequivocally say we see you, we believe you, and… Read more »

For Immediate Release: February 22, 2021 Contact: Olivia Hall, o.hall@joyfulheartfoundation.org or Ian Henderson, ianh@wcasa.org  With the opening of the Wisconsin legislative session, lawmakers have introduced multiple bills that would enact sweeping sexual assault kit reform throughout the state. Two bills introduced, S.B. 71 and S.B. 94, would improve how rape kits are handled in the state and establish a… Read more »

WCASA is extremely disappointed in the decision by Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley to not issue criminal charges against Officer Rusten Sheskey. This is sadly yet another example of how the justice system not only fails but also causes harm to Black people in this country. As a result, Black sexual violence survivors face… Read more »