50,000 Activists Demand Sexual Assault Reform At Dartmouth After Student Publishes A ‘Rape Guide’

[LanternWaste]

Tens of thousands of Americans are pressuring Dartmouth College to strengthen its sexual assault policies, citing the fact that a student was sexually assaulted on campus after her name appeared in a “rape guide” published on a student-run website. Nearly 50,000 people have signed onto a petition spearheaded by the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet asking the prestigious school to “take action immediately to curb the sexual assault crisis” on campus.

“Student groups have asked the school to list expulsion as the punishment for rape in the student handbook and to block access to the ‘rape guide’ website on campus. But school authorities haven’t taken any of these recommendations seriously,” UltraViolet’s petition notes. “Usually, stories like this get little attention from the news media. But if all of us speak up, Dartmouth won’t be able to hide.”

Dartmouth is currently under federal investigation for potential violations of Title IX, the federal gender equity law that requires universities to ensure a safe learning environment for students. A group of Dartmouth students and alumni have also filed a Clery Act complaint alleging that administrators have failed to accurately report incidences of sexual violence and hazing on campus.

More recently, the college made national headlines after an anonymous individual posted a “rape guide” on the student site Bored at Baker, which is not technically affiliated with the college but which requires a Dartmouth email address to participate. The post gave explicit instructions for how to find and rape a particular female student — tips like “just casually drink with her now and then,” “prove you’re not a dangerous person,” and “she’s easily persuaded; keep on going.” The subject, who was referred to as a “whore,” was identified by name. At the end of February, just weeks after the post was first published on Bored at Baker, the female student said she was raped at a fraternity party at Dartmouth.

more at...
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/14/3404111/dartmouth-rape-culture-petition/

[shenmue]

1. Good Lord

What the hell is wrong with people?!

[AtheistCrusader]

7. The response is encouraging at least...

Get mad, kids. That's the only fucking thing that fixes anything anymore. You actually have to engage in direct action to get anything done anymore, and they are doing it.

The kids are all right.

[CTyankee]

11. parents and alums should get involved, too. Withholding any gifts to the school will be a

read deterrent...

[riqster]

2. Good on them! K&R

[freshwest]

3. Gee, and these guys are in college and will be leading our nation in business, government, etc. n/t

[greiner3]

6. "Gee, and these guys are in college and will be leading our nation in business, government, etc."

Dartmouth College has about a $50,000/year tuition.

On their website, it says a family under $60,000 does not pay tuition for their child.

It does not give a breakdown of how many students get this 'free ride' as some might call it, but I'd say this guy's parents might fit into the 'lead(ers) of business, government, etc." and he might have learned it from 'how he was brought up'.

Jus sayin.

[BrotherIvan]

10. So it must be a poor that did it?

Um, you may want to rethink that. There is no evidence that this isn't a full-paying student. There is actually far more evidence that he is a frat boy since the woman was raped at a frat party. Any university/college that wants to upgrade their campus life should get rid of greeks completely.

[greiner3]

14. "There is actually far more evidence that he is a frat boy..."

I would also say ""Um, you may want to rethink that."

Frats are a badge of honor, and an excuse to get drunk at parties, and are both for 'full-paying' students and those who, maybe not from the 1%'ers, but from families who are 'comfortable'.

I am waiting to see which 'side of the tracks' he comes from.

Jus saying.

[BrotherIvan]

15. She was raped at a frat party

I am waiting to see which 'side of the tracks' he comes from.

Is a statement that somehow being poor = bad. It's too bad so many think that way because in my experience, assholes come from all walks of life. But I did find that a large percentage of frat boys on campus were assholes. Greeks are self-selected assholes, who want to become a part of a clique of other assholes who "get drunk" and "get laid"--by any means necessary--their entire college career and then help each other out later with job references, etc. They are nothing but a money-making machines for the organization who then gives a kickback to the school. But what may in the past have been a positive influence is now completely worthless and a nexus of problems on just about any campus.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Oh but " lighten up"

Just a joke right?

[L0oniX]

5. What do these predators think the penalty for a rape conviction is?

It ain't play time with Pee Wee Herman!

[freedom fighter jh]

8. "List expulsion as the punishment for rape"?

Shouldn't it be more like "referral to the police for arrest"?

[mbperrin]

9. The rapist who posted cannot be anonymous if it takes a real Dartmouth email to post.

Find him, prosecute him, send him off for a long long time, and before he goes, let every person he's offended or injured, including the rape victim, of course, a shot at him with weapon of their choice - knife, club, fist, AK-47, whatever.

Yeah, see, this kind of CRIMINAL activity brings out my populist side.

I'll never recommend Dartmouth to any student again if the college continues to think expulsion is a punishment for rape.

[CTyankee]

12. Dartmouth (or Smartmouth as it is often called) has long had a reputation "where men are men

and the sheep ain't safe." That was before women were admitted, tho...

[CTyankee]

13. Maybe cross post this in GD?

I think it would be a good thing to get a wider audience for it.

Thanks for posting, LanternWaste!

[dartmouthchange]

16. DartmouthChange

Thanks DU for bringing wider attention to this! I want to put in a plug for Dartmouth Change, a group of 500+ alumni, faculty, students and Dartmouth community members with an advisory board of national experts. We believe every student has the right to an education on a campus free from sexual violence and the threat of sexual violence. You can find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/dartmouthcanchange), Twitter (@dartmouthchange) and/or at www.dartmouthchange.org We have been trying to persuade and help the administration to make effective changes for over two years and are currently coordinating with student groups and other campus stakeholders to develop recommendations and push the College to act.

[eridani]

17. Thanks for letting us know n/t

[mercuryblues]

19. you say

Dartmouth is serious? How about starting with banning frat parties and the frat the rapist hailed from should be disbanded on campus. Some might call that an over reaction. But Dartmouth needs to ask itself this: how many rapes are acceptable on their campus?

How long was that post left up? Unless Dartmouth is hit in the wallet, no real change will take place. It will be all lip service like: "are taking appropriate actions under the College disciplinary system."

The young ladies on campus should be told that if they are raped, they need to go directly to the police, not campus security.

[geek tragedy]

18. Dartmouth has had a degenerate, abusive student culture as long as I can

remember. They need a radical change.

And that website needs to be taken down--that is not protected free speech.

[CrispyQ]

20. This:

These issues certainly aren’t new, but the power to organize online is giving a louder voice to feminist activists who want to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

“Women are really fed up with rape being excused. I think that’s true on campuses, I think that’s true in our justice system, I think that’s true at the high school level, and I think that’s just becoming true across the country. The ability to connect over online networks has really empowered women to stand up and do something,” Roland pointed out. “If you look at everything from the reaction to Todd Akin’s legitimate rape comment, to Steubenville, to Dartmouth, you can see that women aren’t putting up with it anymore.”