Stanford graduation includes protest over alleged rape

PALO ALTO, Calif. - A cloud hung over Stanford University's commencement ceremony Sunday as some graduates called for justice after the university decided not to expel a student accused of rape.

Instead, the university withheld the accused student's degree, reports CBS San Francisco.

Hundreds of students at the school took the graduation ceremony as an opportunity to wear red tape on their cap and gown to show solidarity for the alleged rape victim, a senior.

"Students are really passionate, and I think that's great that they were able to bring important issues to light," Peri Unver, another senior, said.

Some students wore a simple red stripe, but others wrote 'IX' in reference to Title Nine, a federal law that bans sexual discrimination in schools, reports the station.

"It's not just about [this victim], it's about the countless friends that I have who have experienced sexual assault on campus," senior Vanessa Moody said.

The alleged assault took place last year in Alaska, according to CBS San Francisco. The accuser says the student that raped her told the university that he was asleep during the time that the sex was said to have taken place.

The case is still open and police have not filed any charges.