Liz Stein, an anti-trafficking advocate, educator, speaker and survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking, spoke to 5C students over Zoom on Nov. 10. The event was organized by the Students Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation (SACSE), a 5C organization based through the Claremont McKenna College Mgrublian Center for Human Rights dedicated to creating awareness around issues of sex trafficking and gender-based violence.
According to Vivienne Arndt CM ’28, co-president of SACSE, it was important to the group that they bring in an expert who could address recent sex-trafficking cases that have gained mainstream media coverage, including those of Epstein, Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Stein recently spoke in Washington, D.C. about what it would mean to survivors to have the Department of Justice release the full Epstein files to the public — something that President Donald Trump had promised to do during his campaign and has yet to follow through on.
Having Stein speak at the 5Cs felt like an incredible opportunity for Arndt.
“Not only was she a perfect person to talk about the issue of Epstein-Maxwell and the politicization, especially since she’s been doing a lot of advocacy in D.C., but she also has all of this experience and we thought that she would be such a valuable voice to bring to our campus,” Arndt said.
She added that in initial conversations with Stein at the event, Stein emphasized how important it is to reach college-age students beyond those who are already advocating against sexual violence.
According to Stein, there are a lot of misconceptions about what sex trafficking actually is or looks like, and these misconceptions are reinforced by the media. While speaking to students, she acknowledged that she didn’t understand that she had experienced sex trafficking until Epstein was arrested in 2019 on trafficking charges.
“I had all these misconceptions about who it happened to and what it looked like, so it was confusing to me because the media wasn’t telling me what sex trafficking was,” Stein said. “They were telling me that it happened, but they weren’t telling me what it was. I was shocked to learn how it does not discriminate against class or race or socioeconomic status, it can legitimately happen to anyone and it happens in ways that you just don’t expect.”
For Annabelle Wonder SC ’29, SACSE member, this was one of the key takeaways from the event.
“It counteracts the narrative put across by the media of this big, scary white van and getting kidnapped,” Wonder said. “Usually, a trafficker is someone who has monetary power over you, emotional power over you. They’re usually someone you know and Liz was even talking about how her traffickers are people she considered her friends.”
For Miriam Akhmetshin SC ’26, co-senior head of Scripps Advocates, Stein’s exploration of trauma responses to sexual violence during the talk was extremely valuable. According to Stein, the public isn’t well versed in how traumatic events can affect memory, a fact that often leads law enforcement or legal officials to discredit survivors and label them as unreliable witnesses.
“Even within the topics Advocates more commonly works with, the fundamental misunderstanding of trauma is, in my opinion, what contributes to a lack of empathy with these topics,” Akhmetshin said.
During the event, Stein emphasized the importance of education and how it can serve as a catalyst for advocacy and change.
“It is difficult to see this issue being politicized right now,” Stein said. “It is not a political issue. I think that people are not understanding what the root of the problem is. They are hearing sound bites from different politicians that are in no way grounded in the facts of the case and it’s really difficult to feel like you’re being attacked and disbelieved.”
The talk came three days prior to the release of over 20,000 new documents to the public regarding Epstein’s case on Nov. 12. These files included communications about President Trump that allege he spent time in Epstein’s house with a victim of Epstein and Maxwell’s trafficking.
When asked what students could do to get involved in the fight to prevent sexual violence, Stein encouraged students to identify the aspects of the issue that resonate with them and advocate for those causes.
“Find out what’s going on in your state, find out what’s going on in your city and find out ways that you can show up,” Stein said. “Are there petitions you can sign? Are there representatives you can call? Are there rallies you can attend?”
To Wonder, learning about sex trafficking and sexual abuse is vital for 5C students.
“This is specifically relevant to Claremont, because I know we’re a very active conglomerate,” Wonder said. “Our schools have people that want to go into law, that want to advocate, that want to do all this stuff that can make a change in the world. We need to understand the nuances of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation in order to have a voice in that conversation.”
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault or dating violence, the following 7C resources are available:
The EmPOWER Center:
(909) 607-2689
1030 Dartmouth Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Scripps Advocates:
Warmline operated 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily: (909) 214-2138
Email: Scrippsadvocates@gmail.com
Pomona Advocates 24/7 Hotline:
(909) 905-0035
CMC Advocates 24/7 Hotline:
909-616-5556
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