In the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2023
Contact: Press Office, 202-503-6102
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Campus Safety in Memory of Westport Student
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04), and Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01) reintroduced a bill to help prevent tragic student deaths and serious injuries on college campuses.
The College Operational Reporting of Emergencies Involving Teens and Young Adults (COREY) Safety Act would amend the CLERY Act of 1990—which requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid program to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics—by requiring them to also disclose accidents and other incidents that result in serious injury or death in their annual safety report. The COREY Safety Act is inspired by Corey Hausman, a student from Westport, Connecticut who passed away on September 12, 2018 following a pedestrian accident on his college campus.
Accidents are the leading cause of student fatality on college campuses, accounting for 10.8% of deaths according to a study by the American College Health Association. In comparison, homicides—which are required to be disclosed under the CLERY Act—account for only 0.53% of on-campus deaths. Improving transparency by reporting these serious accidents will better allow for informed decision-making and will encourage colleges and universities to make campuses safer for students.
“Students go off to college and university with the goal of gaining experiences, skills, and accreditation for opportunities later in life. It’s one of greatest things a parent gets to witness—to see our kids work hard and achieve these opportunities—and while not every tragedy can be prevented, we need to know that schools are taking meaningful steps to keep students safe on campus,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “Thanks to our partnership with the Hausman Family from Westport, Connecticut, we are addressing this important issue. Improving the quality of data we have on fatal accidents on school campuses, as well as increasing transparency surrounding these tragic incidents, will ultimately make for better strategies to keep students safe.”
“Schools need to be accountable for student deaths or injuries—a goal that begins with accurate disclosure and reporting. Knowing about past campus tragedies can help prevent them in the future, deterring school negligence or recklessness,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Our bill in Corey Hausman’s brave memory will help save lives. I’m proud to join my colleagues in championing this cause and honoring Corey’s mother’s courageous advocacy.”
“Corey Hausman losing his life a mere three weeks into his freshman year of college was a true tragedy. Sadly, accidents like Corey’s are common on school campuses, and yet colleges aren’t required to collect and report data. By requiring more transparency from schools, the COREY Safety Act will make colleges safer and ensure that incidents like Corey’s are publicly reported. I am continuously inspired by my constituents, the Hausman family, especially the late Nanette Hausman. Nanette left an indelible legacy as a tireless advocate for this legislation, even in the wake of unimaginable loss, so that other parents would not suffer the same. I’ll continue working alongside Representative Courtney and Senator Blumenthal to ensure this commonsense bill is enacted into law,” said Rep. Jim Himes.
“Just under five years ago, my wife and I dropped off our youngest son, Corey to start his college experience. We booked our reservation to come back for parents weekend 30 days later, so anxious to hear the beginning stories of this new exciting chapter. Sadly, parents weekend never came for us. We did, however return to his campus just 15 days after drop off to pick up his ashes. Think about that for a second, while I express these words, the reality of this loss transcends any adjective or quote.
“Corey died from a preventable accident on his campus less than three weeks into his freshman year. Paralyzed by grief, I could do nothing. My wife, however, decided to start an initiative that has led to this extremely important legislation. So simple yet so powerful. Reporting metrics around serious accidents and deaths on College campuses. Currently and surprisingly, there is a data desert related to on campus accidents and serious injuries. When tracked and reported changes will be made to save lives and spare parents along with loved ones, the devastation of losing a child and family member. My wife and hero Nanette who tirelessly spearheaded, this extremely important grassroot initiative has recently passed away. Her vision to make college campuses safer is incontrovertible. As she always expressed, this is not a political or partisan issue. It is plainly a common sense effort,”said Joel Hausman, College911.
“The federal Jeanne Clery Act’s crime and fire safety data disclosure requirements have profoundly improved the campus safety landscape over the last three decades. Higher education informed by this data has made targeted improvements to campus police and security agencies as well as residence hall access and fire safety. The COREY Safety Act can usher in the same type of lifesaving improvements to prevent serious bodily injury and death from accidents,” said S. Daniel Carter, President, Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses, LLC.
“The College Safety Coalition (CSC) is comprised of six parents bound by grief and a passion for college safety advocacy. We know, without a doubt that this bill will ultimately prevent injury and save lives. In a world that relies on timely and accurate data, it is imperative that we bridge the void that currently exists regarding college injuries and fatalities. All fatality prevention strategies are based on the knowledge of previous incidents. We can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. It is our vision, along with our co-founder, Nanette Hausman, to see this bill become law not only because it’s common sense, but more importantly to protect our present and future college students by harvesting data that has long gone unreported; data that will go a long way in ensuring our college campuses are safer for our most valuable asset; our children,” said Mariellen Jacobs, Co-founder, College Safety Coalition.
For a fact sheet on the bill, click here.
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Congressman Joe Courtney was elected in 2006 to represent the Second Congressional District of Connecticut in the House of Representatives. He serves as the second highest Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. |
September 28, 2022 – Your Teen Magazine – The Hidden Dangers of University: Is Your College Student Safe?. Written by Mariellen Jacob with Nanette Hausman serving as contributing author. Your Teen has a national audience comprised of mostly parents with high school or college age children. The piece begins with Mariellen telling a story of a typical college student drop-off: joys, mixed emotions, subtle internal fears, presumptions of safety and develops into the recollection of every parents worst nightmare which the Jacob’s family experienced first hand; a tragic accident resulting in life-altering consequences. Mariellen and Nanette Hausman’s connection, grounded in advocacy to saving lives and prevent injuries, eventually lead to the co-founding of the CollegeSafetyCoaliton.net™. Front and center to their current advocacy efforts is pushing for congressional legislation (COREY Safety Act) to expand transparency around all college community incidents resulting in serious physical injuries or death and require the disclosure of the nearest Level 1 Trauma Center on college/university websites. The overall theme is YOU are the best advocate for your child’s safety, regardless of their age and where they are living.
The Hidden Dangers of University: Is Your College Student Safe?
August 26, 2022 – 11Alive – ABC Atlanta – Georgia Mother Pushing to Stop Preventable Deaths at College. This broadcast created by Kaitlyn Ross features Mariellen Jacobs, founder of RailAgainstTheDanger and member of the College Safety Coalition, her college safety advocacy initiatives. The Jacobs’s tragic, nearly fatal story began with a preventable accident created by a lofted bed not equipped with a safety rail on their son’s college campus. Ms. Jacobs suggests that Georgia residents connect with their Congressional representative to support the COREY Safety Act (H.R. 8406) being socialized in the U.S. House of Representatives. The life-saving Act will create necessary metrics which will serve as a foundation for college community injury and death prevention and provide students and families critical safety information and easy access to emergency service information. Representative Lucy McBath of Georgia stepped as a cosponsor near the time of the broadcast.
Georgia mother pushing to stop preventable deaths at colleges | 11alive.com
August 8, 2022 – Inside Higher Ed – Preventing Serious Accidents on Campus. This article written by Megan Brink focused on how the “College Operational Reporting of Emergencies Involving Teens and Young Adults Safety (COREY) Act” addresses a void in Federally required safety reporting. According to the American College Health Association, accidents are the leading cause of college student death, by far, yet the large majority of accidental injuries are not tallied or reported as publicly available safety events. Nanette Hausman is quoted “if an accident happens in the same place over and over again, and you have the metrics to show that, then, in a way, it isn’t an accident, it is a preventable injury. With these metrics, public health agencies and researchers will have evidence-based data for injury and fatality prevention in college communities.They will assist our universities in acquiring the needed resources to be more prepared for medical emergencies and to manage and minimize preventable injuries “. The success by the Connecticut legislature to pass uncontestedly a public act requiring Connecticut colleges to report all accidents resulting in serious physical harm or death wraps up the article along with a link to the College911.net™ Medical Emergency Checklist.
July 18, 2022 – Congressional Press Release – Improving Campus Safety: Reps. Courtney and Himes Introduce New Bill to Increase Transparency Surrounding On-Campus Injuries and Death, Institute New Reporting Requirements.
July 18, 2022 – 06880 – Corey Hausman’s Safety Bill Goes National – Corey Hausman’s hometown new outlet based in Westport, Connecticut continues coverage on the College911.net Safety Initiative. The piece explains why expanded safety reporting to include incidents resulting in serious injury or death is critical. In college communities, accidents are estimated to be the leading cause of death, by far, yet the large majority go unreported.
https://06880danwoog.com/2022/07/24/corey-hausmans-safety-bill-goes-national/amp/
December 1, 2021 – Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona Publication “A Mother on a Mission to Reduce Brain Injuries on College Campuses”. This feature article was written by Ed Roth and features Carrie Collins, MPA, a USBIA Board Member and CEO of BIA of Arizona. It presents the origins and key offerings of the College911.net™ initiative. It references the current brain injury “data desert” which exists in the US. State driven reporting and care standards, a s well as the CDC’s limited reporting of traumatic brain (TBI) injury events only, “not accounting for those caused by overdoses, strokes, or chemical exposure” creating a void. Without data it is “impossible to define the vastness of the problem” which impacts an agency’s ability to secure funding for brain injury prevention study. If successful, College911.net™ proposed Federal reform will provide evidence-based injury data currently not available.
August 17, 2021 – Atlanta Injury Law Blog (Robin Frazer Clark) “Bedrails for College Dorm Residents Should Be Standard in All Dorm Rooms”. The post features college safety initiatives (including College911.net™) launched by parents and students whose lives are forever changed due to accidents in college communities that are determined to make safety a priority through education and legislative reform.
August 9, 2021, -TODAY.com and Apple.News (Terry Peters) feature an article “after her son’s death, mom’s mission is to prepare college kids for emergencies”. The piece focuses on simple steps parents and students can take to be more prepared for emergencies after sharing relevant details of the tragic loss experienced by the Hausman family.
https://www.today.com/parents/what-do-emergency-college-kids-families-t226995/
June 9, 2021 – CT Mirror (Adria Watson) “Bill changing campus safety reporting gets final passage in House” features quote from House Majority Leader Jason Rojas and covers the passing of CT Senate Bill 954 which established a new Public Act 21-184. Beginning 10-17-21 CT colleges are required to report accidents resulting in serious physical injury or death on their public annual security report.
http://ctmirror.org/2021/06/09/bill-changing-campus-safety-reporting-gets-final-passage-in-house/
June 9, 2021 – Hartford Courant (Adria Watson) “Bill inspired by Westport teen’s death in skateboarding accident at college approved; requires schools to report accidental deaths annually” covers the passing of CT Senate Bill 954 which established a new Public Act 21-184. Beginning 10-17-21 CT colleges are required to report accidents resulting in serious physical injury or death on their public annual security report.
https://06880danwoog.com/2022/07/24/corey-hausmans-safety-bill-goes-national/amp
February 16, 2021, Principal Post – (Lauren LoFrisco) an in-profile piece titled “From Devastation to Difference”. It outlines the journey taken by Nanette Hausman to launch the college safety initiative after her family experienced an unthinkable tragedy, suddenly losing a child or sibling.
https://www.principalpost.com/in-profile/nanette-wilbern-hausman