The University of Toledo College of Law is hosting a panel of experts for a conversation about the legal, practical and emotional consequences of sexual assault at noon Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the Law Center McQuade Auditorium.

Using a question-and-answer format, the panel of experts in sexual assault investigation and victim support will address common questions and attempt to debunk many of the myths surrounding sexual assault.

The three panelists are Shahrazad Hamdah, sexual assault and domestic violence advocate at the UT Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness; Jennifer Reed, a 2012 UT law alumna and assistant prosecutor in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office with numerous years of experience prosecuting sexual assault and other violent felonies; and Elizabeth Seney, a 2011 UT law graduate and assistant director and deputy Title IX coordinator at the University of Michigan, responsible for university investigation of sexual assault cases.

Nicole Buonocore Porter, professor of law and associate dean for faculty research and development at the UT College of Law, will moderate the panel. Porter is the faculty advisor for the Women’s Law Student Association at UT and teaches relevant courses such as criminal law, feminist legal theory and employment discrimination.

“Sexual assault has obviously been in the news quite a bit because of both the #MeToo movement and the Kavanaugh confirmation,” Porter said. “The purpose of this panel is to provide a safe place for students and other audience members to have a conversation with our panelists about sexual assault. Although these conversations are difficult, they are vitally important. In addition to discussing perspectives and experiences of those who have been sexual assault victims, we hope to dispel common myths about sexual assault.”

The free, public event is sponsored by the UT College of Law.