Latest news with #SummerWillis
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill named for UT Austin student passes, closes sexual assault loophole
Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. Please return to the homepage if you are not comfortable with the topic. If you are in distress and need to speak with someone, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas will close a loophole in its sexual assault laws after the Texas Senate passed House Bill 3073 on Wednesday, which makes it a crime in Texas to have sex with a person who is voluntarily intoxicated. Sexual assault survivors testify to Senate committee on bill to close loophole Previously, in order to convict someone for a sexual assault, prosecutors had to prove that a defendant had 'intentionally impaired the other person's power to appraise or control the other person's conduct by administering any substance without the other person's knowledge.' For survivors like bill namesake Summer Willis, this wording prevented her from pressing charges. The new Texas' Penal code language will instead read: 'A sexual assault … is without the consent of the other person if the actor knows that the other person is intoxicated or impaired by any substance to the extent that the other person is incapable of consenting' The sexual assault statutes would now cite an already enrolled definition of consent — 'assent in fact, whether express or apparent.' The bill came out of Gov. Greg Abbott's Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force and supporters said that it had his support. Unless Abbott issues a surprise veto, the bill goes into law on Sept. 1. HB 3073 narrowly avoided multiple deadlines near the end of the session. Willis and other organizers told KXAN that they've been pushing for the change for over 10 years. Previous: Survivors urge Texas lawmakers to close sexual assault loophole before bill dies The delayed start of the new law means that it will not cover assaults of intoxicated people occurring prior to September. HB 3073 was authored by Reps. Donna Howard, D-Austin; Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway; Ann Johnson, D-Houston; David Cook, R-Mansfield; and Nichole Collier, D-Fort Worth. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Summer Willis Act' passes Texas House, needs Senate vote
The Brief Summer Willis Act passed Texas House, needs Senate vote scheduled Act is named for Summer Willis, a sexual assault survivor and activist Act clarifies that sex without clear, ongoing and informed consent is sexual assault AUSTIN, Texas - A sexual assault survivor is fighting for legislation to clarify the definition of consent. The bill has passed in the House but still needs to be scheduled for a vote in the Senate, or it will die this session. What we know House Bill 3073, also known as the Summer Willis Act, clarifies that sex without clear, ongoing, and informed consent, especially when someone is intoxicated or unable to resist, is sexual assault. The bill has passed in the House but needs to be heard in the Criminal Justice Committee and voted on before heading to the Senate. If it does make it to the Governor's desk, and he signs it, it will go into effect Sept. 1. What they're saying "Right now, Texas is saying the worst thing that ever happened to me does not count and to hear that, I have chills all over my body," sexual assault survivor and activist Summer Willis said. "None of us would think that it would make sense to engage in a contract with someone who was impaired. We would know that. And so this really is just common-sense legislation," state Sen. Angela Paxton said. "I've been making calls and connections, connecting with survivors, doing anything I can to make sure that for the first time in ten years that I can have justice, but so can survivors across Texas," Willis said. The backstory About 10 years ago, Summer Willis said she was at a frat party at UT Austin, was drugged by one person and raped by another. The case was never prosecuted. About two years ago, Willis started running. "This was for me to finally stop running away from the shadow of sexual assault and run towards healing," Willis said. She ran 29 marathons in a year. One marathon she ran with a mattress on her back. "Survivors are forced to carry an invisible weight every single day. The weight of what was done to us. In a world that too often refuses to believe us," Willis said. Willis said when she started telling her story, many other survivors shared theirs. "In the aftermath, I felt broken," survivor Sophia-Rose Centurioni said. "We must call this what it is and we must protect those too vulnerable to protect themselves in that moment," survivor Dr. Lavinia Masters said. "I started thinking, how can I actually help them? What can I change to make this better? Willis said. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Survivors urge Texas lawmakers to close sexual assault loophole before bill dies
Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. Please return to the homepage if you are not comfortable with the topic. If you are in distress and need to speak with someone, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sexual assault survivors and advocates said they would rally at the Texas Capitol Monday around 12:30 p.m. to voice support for a bill that could close a loop in the state's sex crime laws, according to a press release. House Bill 3073, named the 'Summer Willis Act,' passed in the House on May 1 with only four representatives voting against it, according to legislative records. It would add language to the Texas' sexual assault statute to include offenses while a victim is voluntarily intoxicated. 'Because of gaps in Texas law, Summer Willis was denied justice,' the release states. 'This bill strengthens our laws and moves Texas closer to ensuring that every sexual assault case is met with the seriousness and justice it deserves.' The rally will feature other sexual assault survivors and advocates, including Dr. Lavinia Masters and the family of Jeffery Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, according to the release. The bill is now before the Senate's Criminal Justice Committee, which is led by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, and Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound. That committee has held three meetings since the bill was referred to it. According to the release, Willis and other advocates are worried that the bill will die in committee. As of Monday morning, the bill is not listed on the committee's Tuesday agenda. Willis, a sexual assault survivor, is scheduled to speak at the rally to 'urge Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to overrule Flores and schedule the vote.' 'Texas, I can't begin to describe what survivors go through after we survive,' said Willis in the release. 'And I don't have words strong enough to describe what it feels like to know our state offers loopholes to rapists and locked doors to us.' Willis was honored in the Senate Monday morning While not an official deadline, time is running out on the 89th legislative session; the last day for the Senate to consider HB 3073 is May 28. The committee does not have any other meetings scheduled ahead of that deadline, according to legislative records. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
52 Laps, 13 Hours, and 6 Knee Pads: She Crawled a Half Marathon Around a Track
Summer Willis is on the ground, crawling the track at Austin High School. Since 4:50 a.m on Saturday, February 15, the mom of two has inched her way through the marathon distance on her hands and knees. In the afternoon sun, you can see the scrapes on her knee pads and holes in her shoes, already worn down from dragging across the track for almost 10 hours. Her shirt, which says, 'There is strength in crawling. There is hope in standing tall. There will be change,' is drenched in sweat. Even though her knees are throbbing and her hands are bleeding, Willis is still smiling while making steady progress. On the track and beyond, it's been a grueling process to get here for Willis. During her sophomore year at the University of Texas, Willis was drugged and raped at a fraternity party by someone she considered a friend, she told Runner's World in November. Though the Houston-based runner has returned to Austin in the 10 years since (she ran the city's marathon last year), being here is understandably painful. But this time, Willis has come with a greater purpose—to reclaim her story. Last fall, Willis decided to crawl 26.2 as a way to symbolize the painful process of recovery for survivors of sexual assault while also pushing for new legislation aimed to support them. '19-year-old Summer after the rape believed that I was worthless, weak, and stupid, and that it was my fault,' Willis, 30, said. 'Coming back to Austin and being able to inspire people like me, who have been crawling for a long time, and share the worst thing that ever happened to me in order to amplify the voices of survivors, it means so much.' After the sexual assault, Willis went into a deep depression and later suffered in an abusive relationship while trying to hide the trauma for several years. Eventually, she got into teaching, which is how she met her husband, Andrew Willis. They have two boys, who are now 2 and 4. Inspired by the 2023 Runner's World article about Julie Weiss, a marathoner who raised $1 million for pancreatic cancer research, Willis started running as a way to heal. In one year, she ran 29 marathons to raise awareness for survivors of sexual assault, ending her campaign at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. She also started the nonprofit Strength Through Strides, an organization dedicated to helping women overcome trauma through health and wellness. The idea to crawl 26.2 came to Willis after she completed the 29 marathons last fall. She started looking at legislation in Texas and realized she could do more to help people in her home state. For Willis, the crawl symbolizes the slow, agonizing process of recovery and receiving support for survivors. 'This [crawl] is an opportunity to be angry and vulnerable and to say, this was not easy. This was really hard, and I'm going to do something about it,' Willis said. This spring, Willis will testify for bills aimed to change the laws around sexual assault and consent in the state of Texas. In partnership with Texas state representatives and congressmen, they hope to 'clarify the definition of consent with respect to sexual violence,' make it so that 'sexual assault is without consent if the actor knows or reasonably should know that the other person is intoxicated or impaired by any substance and cannot give consent' (current Texas law states the actor must intentionally impair the other person by administering a substance), and clarify that 'consent can be withdrawn once an act has been initiated,' among other protections for victims. Willis also used the crawl to fundraise for the SAFE Alliance, a domestic abuse treatment center in Austin. To prepare for the feat, Willis hired a strength training coach and focused on long stints of exercise to train herself physically and mentally. When she started the buildup in October, Willis could only do five push-ups at a time. Now, she can do 100. She also did ultra-distance training sessions, like eight-hour runs and crawls and six-hour swims in the pool. Initially, Willis planned to crawl the entire Austin Marathon course, but safety concerns—avoiding traffic on city streets in the dark—initiated a change in plans. Instead, she started the challenge on the Austin High School track, where she and Andrew set up a fuel station and took short nap breaks in an Airstream trailer. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, February 16, Willis finished the first 13.1 miles (52 laps) on the track, wearing down six pairs of knee pads in the process. She completed the half marathon in 13 hours and 30 minutes. If the effort is ratified by Guinness World Records, she could become the record-holder for the fastest half marathon crawling. But the experience was excruciating. 'Cuts, bruises, and what feels like stress fractures made continuing impossible,' she said. A few hours later, Willis was dropped off at the 13.1 mark on the Austin Marathon course, which happened to be located across the street from the building where her sexual assault took place. Instead of crawling the remaining miles, she ran with the rest of the field—determined to finish the challenge while 'standing tall' in the place where she once felt broken. Willis said she approached the change as a failure at first, but that feeling shifted when she acknowledged the progress she's made in the 10 years since. 'I get to run and have a smile on my face with these amazing women at the finish line,' she thought. Around 1 p.m., Willis was joined by state representatives Donna Howard, Ann Johnson, and Vikki Goodwin for the final 0.3 miles of the race. Together, they ran arm-in-arm into the finish line on Congress Avenue. Thirty minutes later, Congressman Lloyd Doggett joined them outside the gates of the Texas state capitol for a press conference to share their plans for policy changes and appreciation for Willis's advocacy. 'She's doing it for every other victim who hasn't had the courage to speak up, and I know that they're going to see this,' Johnson told the crowd. 'They are going to know everything about you, and they're going to see themselves in you and the fact that you would stand here in front of this capitol and demand from every elected official in this state that we can do better and we must do better.' After the crowd left, Willis took a seat on the steps of the capitol gate, her knees covered in bandages after swelling to twice their normal size. While race organizers dismantled the barriers directing runners to the finish line, she reflected on the struggles she experienced in the last 35 hours. The bruises. The blood. The self-doubt. And the tears. But none of it stopped her from finding a way to complete 26.2 for those who've suffered for far too long. Though the crawl didn't end in the way she envisioned, Willis said it was better. She found joy, running for a purpose with leaders who are working to create change with her. 'I felt like nobody,' Willis said. 'And they showed up and they're fighting for people like me, and that just means the world.' You Might Also Like What's the Deal With Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss? The Best Trail Running Gear Is Running on an Empty Stomach Best or Should You Eat Breakfast First?
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
University of Texas alum crawling the Austin marathon to raise sexual assault awareness
Summer Willis hated to run. As a senior in high school in Beaumont, she quit soccer because "we were running so much, and it filled me with the most anxiety." A year and a half ago, Willis, 30, who now lives in Houston, hit rock bottom after being diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder following a sexual assault her sophomore year at the University of Texas. Just three months from her 29th birthday, she decided she would run 29 marathons in a year to raise awareness about sexual assault. Having completed those 29 marathons in a year by October, Willis is returning to the marathon circuit on Feb. 16 for the Austin Marathon. This time, though, she'll be crawling the marathon. She'll start on the course at 8:00 the night before after being at a gala for Austin's SAFE Alliance, and crawl on her hands and knees with her husband, Andrew, staying beside her to make sure she doesn't get lost in the dark and is kept fed and hydrated. She'll use knee pads and tape her wrists, but she knows it will be a grueling feat. She expects to reach the finish line around 1 p.m. and will be joined by friends and family, her therapist, as well as Texas legislators who are helping her spirit bills protecting victims of sexual assault. Several bills, including Senate Bill 332 and House Bill 1714, would make it a sexual assault if the person "knows the other person is intoxicated by any substance such that the other person is incapable of appraising the nature of the act" or if the person "knows that the other person has withdrawn consent to the act and the actor persists in the act after consent is withdrawn." Several bills, including Senate Bill 127 and House Bill 1778, would remove the statute of limitations on prosecuting sexual assault. The idea to crawl came to Willis because recovery after a sexual assault is slow and painful, she said. "It felt like I was on hands and knees just trying to get by for years — trying to crawl back into the person that I used to be," she said. "It's also right now a crawl to get anything done: to get legal help, to get the rape kits that you need to get, the counseling. ... It just all feels like this really slow process, but there's also strength in that. There's strength in the slow recovery." Willis was inspired by another runner who had run 52 marathons in 52 weeks to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. Willis had just had a baby, was sleep deprived and out of shape, she said, but she knew she could do it. "I couldn't run a mile. I was overweight. I was depressed. but I had some running shoes, and I started training," she said. She did three marathons in three days in Lake Tahoe that October as her first entry into the world of marathons. She later did 13 marathons in eight weeks. Sometimes the marathons were just a mess. One time she forgot pants and had to have pants delivered to her through Uber, but the pants that arrived were almost see-through. Another time she forgot to pack deodorant. And for her first marathons, her luggage was lost, including her breast pump, which meant she could barely lift her arms while running because her breasts were so full with milk and no pump to express it. Willis' healing was about getting stronger through running and through writing and talking about her assault, which she never reported. "I needed to be the person that I used to believe that I could be before the rape, just someone who is strong and resilient and a fighter and someone who would do good," she said. "And so by running 29 marathons and sharing my story with the world, I guess that was me trying to be the person that I always believed I could be before." Coming back to Austin is always difficult. When she was last here, she went by the street where her assault occurred and just cried. She says she and a group of her sorority sisters went to a fraternity party where she was handed a drink. She believes that drink was laced with something because she has very little memory of that night. She does remember the bed and saying "no" over and over again. Then she remembers running along the street outside the fraternity house, falling on the ground and then taking a hot shower afterward. She later heard from people at the party what had happened to her, and she says the fraternity's underground newsletter published a narrative of that night's events, which included her rape, she said. She didn't tell anyone what had happened to her for more than a year. "Only 21% of people report that they were raped because it's humiliating and shameful," she said. During one marathon, she ran through New York's Central Park with a twin mattress strapped to her back to point out that during college, women are three times more likely to be sexual assaulted during their college years than at ay other time. The running has been therapeutic for Willis. "For a long time, for a decade, I just ran away from all the trauma, and this was my way of finally facing it head on," she said. "And then it turned into something way bigger than just myself." When she runs, fellow survivors of sexual assault will run along side her and tell her their stories. "At first that was really, really hard, because not only was I carrying my pain, I was carrying their pain," she said. "This is my way of turning pain into purpose and creating lasting change." Even today, when she feels stressed or is having a bad day, she'll go for a run. It's become her way to heal. She's created the nonprofit Strength through Strides and is working on creating a series of 5K races that will raise awareness about sexual assault and bring survivors and their loved ones together. She's also working an a film about sexual assault prevention and she is advocating for women to protect other women, especially during their college years. It's the advice she gave her own younger sister when she arrived at UT. That means noticing when someone has had too much to drink and making sure they get home OK, or telling a someone to "get lost" if they see that person being inappropriate to another person. She's also working on a national law to create a sexual assault victim's counselor at every college that receives federal funds. Today, she has a lot of gratitude for her husband Andrew, who is her biggest supporter, for sons Alfred, 3, and August, 1, who love to run with her or play Pokémon Go. "I don't even know if you ever can fully heal or recover," she said. "It is a crawl and it is an endurance race. I just want people to know that there's hope, and you can still have your happy ending. Although occasionally, I do feel sad and it was hard, I have my husband and my boys, and I'm so happy and blessed." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT graduate crawling Austin Marathon to raise sexual assault awareness
