Lauren McCluskey was beloved by all who knew her. She was a top student in the classroom, a loving daughter, a caring friend, an involved community member and a dedicated track teammate. Six years ago, the 21-year-old University of Utah student-athlete was murdered by her ex-boyfriend outside her campus dorm room.
The third annual Lauren’s Lap: Race for Campus Safety event exemplified who McCluskey was as a person through speakers and the presence of family and friends.
This year’s race, on Nov. 2, brought together runners, nonrunners, families and friends to support bettering campus safety at the U, honor Lauren McCluskey’s memory and raise awareness for relationship safety.
Before her death, Lauren McCluskey reached out to campus police over 20 times, reporting threats from her previous partner and experiences of stalking on campus. The man she had dated lied about his age, name and criminal record. However, campus police did little to investigate the case, leading to Lauren’s murder on the evening of Oct. 22, 2018.
Jill McCluskey, Lauren’s mother, is a professor of Sustainability at Washington State University and chair of the Lauren McCluskey Foundation, which raises awareness of dating violence and stalking.
“Raising awareness for dating violence will save lives,” Jill McCluskey said. “In Lauren’s case, she wasn’t believed, the police didn’t understand how much danger she was in. So, if we increase awareness and change the culture, we’re more likely to save more lives.”
Through events like Lauren’s Lap, students, faculty and other community members can come together and push for change within the issue of campus and relationship safety.
The Lauren McCluskey Foundation has pushed for universities around the country to adopt Lauren’s Promise, which allows professors to promote a safe environment where students’ voices are heard regarding threats of stalking, abuse and other forms of dating violence.
Jill McCluskey said over 400 universities across the nation have adopted this promise, including the U.
“I think everyone can do something. We can all make a difference and we make Lauren’s promise to each other even, that I will listen and believe you if someone is threatening you. Students can support each other and help victims get resources so that they can be safe. If you see something, say something and report it,” McCluskey said.
Students on campus such as Arden Cook, a junior majoring in political science at the U and a member of ASUU, also believes that events like Lauren’s Lap are a positive way to recognize the issue of dating violence and honoring Lauren McCluskey.
“I wasn’t here during her time but I still remember the significance of what happened to her,” Cook said. “Being in ASUU, we have the job of understanding Lauren’s purpose and its importance at the U. This is important to remember at this event, you’re running for a greater cause.”
This year’s Lauren’s Lap race opened with speakers, which included Jill McCluskey, Scott Carver, deputy chief safety officer of the U’s Department of Campus Safety, Head Cross Country coach Kyle Kepler and filmmaker Celene Beth Olsen.
Carver Touched upon the changes made by the U’s campus police department after Lauren McCluskey’s tragic death.
“I came up to join Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires, who was called upon by the university to conduct an independent investigation into what happened and how the university failed Lauren. That recommendation and that study identified 30 changes that needed to be made,” Carver said.
These changes include conscious recruitment of officers, new leadership roles and communication with students, faculty and the greater university community. Detective Kayla Dallof was fired after she opened but did not actively look into McCluskey’s case. The team of 54 officers has worked since to make campus safer for all.
Olsen delivered an address, remembering Lauren as well as touching on her own abuse that occurred at the U in 2006.
“I stand before you today because of someone who fought for her voice to be heard,” Olsen said. “[Lauren] followed all the steps to raise awareness about her life being in danger, but most importantly, she did everything right.”
Explaining her own story in connection to Lauren’s, Olsen said that speaking out when one feels threatened or has been abused in some way is needed. Although it can be intimidating and sometimes easier to convince oneself that they are ok, having resources available can be life-changing. Olsen opened up publicly about her own story after reaching out to Jill McCluskey in 2019.
“At that point in my life I believed that I was not a statistic, I thought that I was immune to PTSD and had moved on from my assault years ago. Yet over those weeks and months that followed after breaking my silence, my PTSD began to manifest in unexpected ways. I knew I had to take action to support victims and survivors,” Olsen said.
Olsen added that Lauren’s Promise creates multiple resources on campus, not just for the student population but also for the entire community.
“Lauren’s Promise is inclusive of everyone: faculty, staff, students, parents and community members,” she said. “Urging us all to advocate for victims of relationship violence by listening, believing and helping them access the support they need. Lauren’s promise is simple: I will listen and believe if someone is threatening you.”
Jill McCluskey reiterated Olsen’s message with ‘Let Her Light Shine,’ the motto of the Lauren McCluskey Foundation.
“Everyone has the power to listen, believe and respond when a person is asking for help. You can change the culture,” McCluskey said.