Joe Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden Speaks at GMU Sex Assault Awareness Event

Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday at a campus sexual assault awareness event at George Mason University.

Biden has long been at the forefront of the movement fighting to end violence against women. In the '90s, as a senator, he wrote the Violence Against Woman Act that changed how the U.S. criminal justice system responded to domestic violence and sexual assault.

As vice president, he appointed the first-ever White House adviser on violence against women and has been a champion for the "It's On Us" campaign, which the Obama Administration launched in 2014 and aims to reduce campus sexual assault.

"My dad used to say the greatest sin a man can do is ignore the abuse to all," Biden said during Wednesday's event. "You have an obligation to say something. This is about truth."

Biden also talked about the recent firing of Bill O'Reilly following allegations of sexual harassment.

"You know you're making progress when you have the most popular talking head lose his job for sexual assault," Biden said. 

Actress Alisha Boe, known for her role as Jessica in the Neflix's series "13 Reasons Why," also spoke at the event.

George Mason has made eradicating sexual assault a top priority, offering a 24-hour crisis hotline which is managed by the Student Support and Advocacy Center, and obligating students to take the Mason pledge to end sexual violence.

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