With the disappearance and death of Hannah Graham at Charlottesville, the ongoing conversations about safety on college campuses have become more frequent in Virginia and across the nation. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe made this topic a priority in our state in August when he announced that he was forminga Task Force to Combat Sexual Violence at the state’s colleges and universities.
Judy Casteele
Two of our Virginia Lutherans are part of this 30-member Task Force. Judy Casteele, executive director of Project Horizon in Buena Vista and a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, was appointed to the task force over the summer and sees it as a way to be an ambassador for Christ. “I think it’s important for people to see how your day in the pew affects the rest of your everyday life,” Casteele said.
Roanoke College, one of the Virginia Synod’s eight mission partners, is also represented on the task force by President Michael Maxey.
 President Maxey |
The task force created to promote prevention of sex crimes, to form a safe environment for victims to come forward, and to properly punish those responsible, met on Oct. 9, headed by Attorney General Mark Herring. Casteele said the task force will meet quarterly and the three committees focused on prevention, response and law enforcement will meet monthly.
“Across the commonwealth there is a broad range in the ways that colleges respond to sexual assault,” she said. “We are supposed to look at everything and make a recommendation on how the commonwealth should go forth.” Each committee is expected to bring recommendations to the governor in June 2015.
Bringing 26 years of experience in working in violence against women and providing victim services, Judy Casteele was a natural choice to serve as a member of the task force.
Project Horizon, where she is now the executive director, is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to reducing domestic, dating and sexual violence in the Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County area. Their outreach programs and direct services to clients include a 24-hour hotline (463-2594), emergency shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, applicable referrals, and legal advocacy.
As well as being invested in ending violence against women in Virginia, Casteele is also the Virginia Synod representative on the ELCA’s Women and Justice Task Force.
“For me there is an obvious connection between what I believe and what I do,” she said. “This work is my calling. My life calling is working in the area of violence against women. It’s all about justice and there is no greater justice than making sure people are safe from harm.”
