T-SHIRT OF THE DAY: ASK ME HOW MY COLLEGE IS PROTECTING MY RAPIST

[HuckleB]

http://feministing.com/2016/04/05/t-shirt-of-the-day-ask-me-how-my-college-is-protecting-my-rapist/

"Last week, a group of 11 students kicked off a protest at St. Olaf College, wearing “Ask Me How My College Is Protecting My Rapist” t-shirts on campus to protest its mishandling of rape cases. While the media attention given to campus sexual assault remains largely limited to a certain demographic (Ivy League and Northeast), their efforts go to at least show that gender violence is happening across the country—and so is student organizing to fight it.

Madeline Wilson, a senior at St. Olaf and a fourth generation of her family to attend the small religious school in Minnesota, says the college grossly mishandled her rape report when school officials allowed lawyers to unfairly manipulate the investigation process and failed to use the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights evidence standards. They also allowed the perpetrator to stalk and harass Wilson for months in retaliation for reporting, without taking action to protect her. Wilson says:

After I was raped, I went to the administration because I had confidence in their ability to fairly and professionally handle my case. Despite my trust, I was met with a variety of procedural errors as well as instances in which the college actively refused to protect me. My school has completely failed to address my sexual assault or protect me from further harassment and abuse from my rapist. As the fourth generation of my family to attend St. Olaf, I am deeply hurt by the betrayal of a campus I trusted, and my sense of safety and community here is shattered.

Wilson’s report of her school’s mishandling of her case is part and parcel with testimonies by numerous other sexual assault survivors and student activists at St. Olaf College, 11 of whom have have committed to wearing the shirts around campus for the rest of the year or until the school initiates policy revisions. The group’s creative efforts to draw attention to their school’s gross incompetence draws from important work by countless other student survivors cross the country. The fact that their group has secured a meeting with top campus officials (who have invited the Department of Education to conduct an independent review of their policies) only speaks to the power of youth organizing.

..."

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The piece says it all.

[4Q2u2]

1. Do what is best for you

Go to the Police.
Do not let these Amatures or tilted idiots have a say over such an important issue in your life.
May she get justice.

[HuckleB]

2. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work either.

[4Q2u2]

4. I know

I would say that it is a much greater change of having an independent investigation. With trained personnel.

[HuckleB]

6. True.

[Brickbat]

3. This doesn't surprise me at all.

Plus ça change, etc. K&R for her important work. Remember, students: the police might not help you, but the administration for sure won't.

[TeeYiYi]

5. This thread needs a pic...

TYY

[HuckleB]

8. Thanks!

[procon]

7. No school campus should handle serious crimes.

The staff is unprepared, unprofessional, and have an inherent conflict of interest in protecting the public image, and thereby the revenues, of their employer. Beyond self-policing for minor incidents like parking violating, vandalism, or petty theft, all major crimes, especially sex crimes, should be immediately referred to local law enforcement.

[linuxman]

9. Hang on, I can't remember.

Are we for or against making colleges the arbiters of justice in cases of accused rape?

[Xithras]

10. DU is fairly split on the subject

As a former educator who spent a decade of my life and career on college campuses, I think the notion that colleges are even nominally equipped to handle these cases is naive, at best. As I've mentioned before, the Title IX complaint coordinator for my old college was also the Dean of Library services. A librarian, with no legal or investigative background, was in charge of the group that determined whether these cases had any merit. And how did she get that job? By being the only person who applied when the administration posted it as a five hour per week stipend position.

That kind of thing is woefully common in higher ed. The DoE requires that colleges provide the resources, but provides no funding to implement any of it. So the committees end up being staffed by unqualified, under-trained volunteers. And then the students wonder why things aren't handled "professionally".