The Daily Northwestern — Feb. 6, 2015

Page 1

SPORTS Women’s

Buffett Center speaker talks social impact abroad » PAGE 3

Basketball

Wildcats battle to road win over Hoosiers » PAGE 12

OPINION Balk We don’t need to have all the answers » PAGE 4

High 32 Low 26

The Daily Northwestern Friday, February 6, 2015

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Ludlow’s Title IX suit dismissed By SOPHIA BOLLAG

daily senior staffer @sophiabollag

federal judge Thursday dismissed philosophy Prof. Peter Ludlow’s lawsuit against Northwestern and top University officials alleging gender discrimination, defamation and invasion of privacy. The judge dismissed all claims against all the defendants in the lawsuit, which Ludlow filed in June. “The University said when this lawsuit was filed that it had no merit,” University spokesman Al Cubbage said in an email to The Daily. “The federal court today ruled that to be the case.” Ludlow’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment Thursday evening. In the suit, Ludlow alleged NU violated his rights under Title IX and discriminated against him because of his gender during a 2014 sexual misconduct investigation. Judge Sara L. Ellis dismissed the claim, saying Ludlow failed to prove NU discriminated against him because of his gender. This is the second Title IX suit filed against the University and dismissed in the last year. In November, another federal judge dismissed a Medill senior’s lawsuit alleging NU

acted with “deliberate indifference and retaliation” after she reported Ludlow sexually assaulted her in 2012. Ludlow has denied the Medill student’s allegations. In her ruling Thursday, Ellis also dismissed Ludlow’s claims against a philosophy graduThe ate student, philosophy University Prof. Jennifer Lackey said when this and direclawsuit was tor of NU’s filed that it had Sexual no merit. The Harassment Prevention federal court Office Joan today ruled that Slavin. Ludlow alleged to be the case. the three Al Cubbage, women University defamed spokesman him in statements they made during the 2014 investigation into the graduate student’s complaint that Ludlow had non-consensual sex with her while they were in a relationship. Ellis ruled the student’s statements were not defamatory because the student made them during an investigation into an employee’s alleged sexual misconduct. Ellis said Slavin’s

» See DISMISSAL, page 6

Sophie Mann/The Daily Northwestern

BOYCOTT DIVEST SANCTION NU Divest members Alexa Klein-Mayer and Hazim Abdullah-Smith lead the group’s workshop about BDS. Over 40 people attended the event in Fisk Hall on Thursday.

NUDivest holds workshop By SHANE MCKEON

the daily northwestern @Shane_McKeon

A Northwestern Divest workshop on its boycott, divest and sanction strategy drew more than 40 students

to Fisk Hall on Thursday. NUDivest, a movement pushing for the University to divest from “corporations that are profiting off of the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands,” according to its website, held the event to clarify misconceptions about BDS and to explain the

strategy to students. BDS involves boycotting antiPalestinian corporations and academics, divesting from those corporations and sanctioning Israel. Weinberg junior Alexa Klein» See BDS, page 6

Child care programs face cuts Environmental film festival returns to city By KEVIN MATHEW

daily senior staffer @kevinwmathew

State funding will likely freeze for local child care programs as a $300 million deficit in program funding looms. Child care services are in jeopardy for the state-funded Childcare Network of Evanston, and no long term solution for the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program is being discussed. Last week CNE received a letter warning the organization that state funding payments could be significantly delayed or dropped. CNE places low-income families with child care centers, and has committed to continue paying centers through February until state funding is solidified. CNE executive director Andrea Densham said the short-term solution is necessary because services benefit both to the economy and low-income families. “It’s critically important for families

to have stability and to be able to put their children in reliable high-quality child care … so they can continue to rise and build their way out of poverty,” Densham said. “This is a smart investment for our communities if we’re trying to help build a solid middle class.“ According to a CNE news release, low-income families must allocate about 30 percent of their income to child care, while families above the national poverty level allocate about 8 percent. Illinois Action for Children provides advocacy and research to support subsidized child care for low-income families. IAC will send valentines made by children to state officials next week before a Springfield rally Feb. 19 addressing the issue. The budget made last spring originally created about $200 million in deficit, and IAC president and CEO Maria Whelan anticipated a fall supplemental to ease that deficit. But a fall bailout never came, and a new child care management system required more

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

spending and created another $100 million in deficit. “Basically the Childcare Assistance Program has spent all of its general revenue funds, its state money, and is now operating on federal money only,” she said. State officials heard testimony at an Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee meeting Thursday. The crisis was acknowledged, but no path to a solution was agreed upon. Densham said Gov. Bruce Rauner has been mostly silent on the issue, but his State of the State address Wednesday was promising. “Our budget will increase funding for early childhood education so that more at-risk children can enter kindergarten ready to succeed,” Rauner said in the address. “From cradle to career, our children’s education needs to be our top priority.” However, Rauner was addressing the next fiscal year, and both CNE and IAC

» See CHILD CARE, page 6

By ALICE YIN

daily senior staffer @alice__yin

The nationwide Wild & Scenic Film Festival is returning to play a selection of environmental films in Evanston on Friday. Organized by the South Yuba River Citizens League, the touring festival will be at the Evanston Ecology Center on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. The Evanston Environmental Association will play sixteen films both nights that range from a minute to just more than 30 minutes long. This is the fourth time EEA is hosting the festival, and about 100 people are expected to attend each night. Last year, the festival sold out both nights. The films cover many different themes. EEA board secretary Karen Taira said the subcommittee in charge of the movie

selection combed through more than 100 different films that the league sent in, looking for a balanced mix of adventure, science, environmental policy and artistry. Each evening will feature 75 minutes of screen time. “The environment doesn’t always have to be this dark and heavy conversation,” Taira said. “Sometimes a really good impact is to show them somebody having fun outside rock-climbing or surfing, to listen to the birds … It really gets you to start thinking … what actions positively or negatively affect what’s out there.” Lisa Molomot, director of “School’s Out,” a documentary featuring kindergartners in Switzerland who go to class in a forest, said her film has an appreciation of nature present in the background, although it isn’t “super obvious” or “preachy.” » See FESTIVAL, page 6

INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 10 | Sports 12


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