Wednesday, September 10, 2014
96th year • Issue 4
UT lets down the students OPINION / 4 » Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
INSIDE
TITLE IX
Title IX complaint filed The survivor’s journey through UT’s sexual assault system By Amanda Pitrof
UT hits the road Toledo heads to Cincinnati for their first away contest. Junior QB Phillip Ely is out for the season due to an ACL injury. SPORTS / 5 »
Phishing for students The latest form of phishing, or social engineering, seems to target both students and staff via email the past few months. Find out what you need to know to avoid being a victim. NEWS / 3 »
Rocket Fanatic Week: a real tradition we can be proud of The week of events around campus begins Tuesday Sept. 16 at noon in the Centennial Mall with a car bash.
“ COMMUNITY / 8 »
“What is different is that I can see the reactions in people’s faces when I first begin to speak or respond to them and they hear my stutter.”
DUSTIN JARRETT What it’s like to be a new student with a stutter OPINION / 4 »
Fifty years of WOW UT’s department of theatre and film is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with the Toledo community Sept. 19-21. COMMUNITY / 7 »
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News Editor
A federal Title IX complaint was filed against the University of Toledo by a former student who was sexually assaulted by another student. The former student and survivor, who wishes to remain anonymous, began the process Apr. 8, 2014, by reporting the incident. She spoke with a small group of UT’s staff — Dean of Students Tamika Mitchell, Student Conduct Officer Mary Martinez and the survivor’s advocate who is also a UT counselor — to explain what happened, and to decide which route she wanted to take. The survivor decided to go through UT’s judiciary system, which she said began with them sending an email to the perpetrator. The email informed him what he was accused of and that after talking with him, they would decide if there was enough evidence to go through with the hearing. The hearing, which was May 13, 2014, was described by the survivor as being a bit like a conference call. She said the perpetrator was in another room and had to call in. Both the survivor and the perpetrator were interviewed by the Student Conduct Hearing Board. “He was found responsible for violating the student code of conduct policy and for violation of sexual assault, or sexual misconduct, on the premises of noncon-
sensual sex,” the survivor said. Separately from the SCHB hearing, the survivor said she and the perpetrator were also interviewed by Kevin West, senior director of faculty relations and inclusion officer as well as UT’s Title IX investigator, and Melissa Auberle, labor relations compliance specialist. The survivor recalls the interviews with West and Auberle to be “very biased.” “They would ask leading questions, and then they would try to ask the same question but in a different way to see if I would not answer it the same way,” she said. “They did not take into consideration the symptoms of Rape Trauma Syndrome I was experiencing.” West and Auberle found the perpetrator responsible, just like the SCHB, and agreed with their punishment for him. His sanction consisted of 10 hours of sexual assault education, a $25 fine, and one year of disciplinary probation. The survivor said she appealed this to Kaye Patten Wallace, and that “they upped his sanctions to suspension for one year along with his previous sanction.” The perpetrator’s sanctions were reduced back to what they were originally when he appealed the increase in his punishment. The survivor was not allowed to re-appeal. “I don’t understand how you can make the statement that my rape was not severe enough to
Title IX
What is Title IX? The relevant portion of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
suspend my rapist,” she said. Following the interviews with West and Auberle and the hearing with the SCHB, West wrote a 19page report about the incident. His report, while finding the perpetrator responsible, also found the perpetrator more credible than the survivor because his story did not change at all and hers did. The perpetrator was interviewed once, and the survivor was interviewed three times. West’s report also said the survivor was able to remember too clearly the chronological order of what happened the night she was attack because she was drunk. According to a recent article published online by the Blade, “In the last page of the 19-page report, Mr. West wrote that the rape was a ‘nonconsensual sexual
UT safety dinner held to discuss sexual assault options and advocacy program By Amanda Pitrof News Editor
A campus safety dinner was held by university officials on Monday, Sept. 9 in light of the recent Title IX sexual assault case. Kaye Patten Wallace, senior vice president for student affairs, prefaced the presentations with an explanation of the purpose of this dinner. “We’re here this evening because it’s important to me that we want to reiterate first of all the University of Toledo’s commitment to sexual assault safety and awareness.” Patten Wallace said. “Also, to your safety overall. And we wanted most importantly to make sure that you are aware of all the resources that are available to you should you or someone you know become a sexual assault victim.” She then introduced Stanley Edwards, director of the university counseling center, who spoke partially about the Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program that is in place to offer help to and advocacy for survivors as well as to educate students about sexual assault. “We have three trained sexual assault advocates,” Edwards said. “A sexual assault advocate is there to provide support for each student who becomes a victim of sexual assault.” Edwards said the goal is to train four or See Dinner / 3 »
See Title IX / 3 »
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Naganathan visits first Student Government meeting of year
HONORS LECTURE SERIES
Controversial lecturer set to speak at UT Sept. 15 By Torrie Jadlocki Staff Reporter
ANDREA HARRIS / IC
Interim president Nagi Naganathan speaks at the SG meeting on Sept. 9, introducing himself to students and giving them his professional background. SG president Clayton Notestine also discussed SG’s upcoming plans for the year. By Joshuah Hampton Staff Reporter
Student Government kicked off its first meeting of the school year on Sept. 9 with its first senate meeting. SG President Clayton Notestine gave a “State of UTSG” report and reminded the attendees of the state of UT’s administration, with a new interim president and provost, director of the recreation center, director of food service and also about the presidential search. Notestine also reviewed the recent campus safety dinner, and said SG did not end its involvement in sexual assault awareness issues at that dinner. He said the problem was not just a women’s or men’s issue, but a “Rockets issue” that affects everyone at UT. Notestine said he met with the director of the Carlson Library and a representative from the Provost’s Office to discuss library operating hours. He said there would be no change to the
current schedule of closing all floors — even the first floor — at midnight, citing the fact that it takes several staffers to keep the library open. However, all floors of the library will be open 24 hours for two weeks around midterms and finals. UT Interim President Nagi Naganathan also spoke at the meeting. He said his goal for enrollment is to “Get one, keep one,” that is, to both enroll incoming freshmen and retain more returning students. “If every student gave one other person an application for UT, the power and connections we would create would be amazing,” he said. Naganathan also spoke about the Title IX grievance recently filed against UT. “As a campus, our goal ... is having zero incidents,” he said. “Where it happens is really the culture. We all have to work together; we cannot be bystanders [and] look away.” SG Vice President Ali Eltatawy
spoke about the upcoming Rocket Fanatics week, which he said is a week of events on campus to increase spirit and fun on campus. Eltatawy also said a “big push” SG wants is to increase involvement in student organizations. Notestine opened the business portion of the meeting by introducing the “standing rules,” a set of policies about senator conduct at meetings in addition to the parliamentary rules of order. The senate votes to approve these rules every year. A formal discussion should occur next week, Notestine said. Notestine then introduced the “SG Strategic Plan,” a formal declaration to the public of what the senate wants to do “to make Student Government better.” The plan lists several goals for SG across three areas of interest: outreach, future improvement within the senate itself, and “outpacing” other student governments See Meeting / 3 »
Controversial politician Karl Rove will speak Sept. 15 as part of the Jesup Scott Honors College Lecture series. The lecture will take place at Doermann Theater at 7 p.m. and admission is free. Rove was a senior advisor for former President George W. Bush, and also aided as his campaign strategist. From 2004 to 2007, he also served as deputy chief of staff. However, many feel that Rove and his past make him an inadequate candidate for the lecture series. “I do not agree with Karl Rove politically, but he was a main player during the George W. Bush administration, and so he will draw a big crowd,” said Paulette Kilmer, a professor in the communication department. “I think bringing speakers who represent a range of views to campus enlightens all of us. Just as I doubt any liberal ever brainwashes students, I doubt Karl Rove will indoctrinate recruits for the Right Wing.” Some people are highly opposed to the lecture and have gone so far as to create a petition on Change.org to have the lecture cancelled. The petition, started by an individual with the pseudonym ‘UT Alum’, currently has 211 electronic signatures. “The University’s validation of Karl Rove’s policies and practices sets a poor example for students and the community alike of the kind of ethical and moral standards we expect from one of our city’s most vital cultural leaders,” states the petition. Many of the supporters of the petition call Rove a “war criminal” and “demeaning to the university.” Not all who oppose the lecture feel this way, however. “Students are not clay waiting for someone to shape their minds,” Kilmer said. “College students are adults who can think for themselves, and let others do the same.”