Students give accused rapists' names at UM event
Students at the University of Maryland, College Park are holding their bi-annual "clothesline project" rape-awareness event today, in front of the Hornbake library.
The 17-year-old event at UM made news earlier this month, after university officials banned participants from naming accused sexual predators on T-shirts, which hang from clotheslines as a symbol of assault victims.
The event is endorsed and sponsored by the university, and UM officials said the ban was made to avoid potential defamation lawsuits. Student activists protested, calling the ban censorship, and vowed to hang shirts naming alleged perpetrators in a separate -- but public -- forum.
Earlier today, Angela Boos, a junior, told me that about 15 shirts with names on them were hanging today, near the larger university-sponsored event.
A representative of the national grass roots Clothesline Project said that naming alleged perpetrators is not appropriate:
"We ask that perpetrators not be named on survivor's shirts unless they have been convicted. It is a liability issue for the local projects," said "Carol C," in an e-mail.
What do you think?
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Comments
I absolutely agree with Carol C's statement, especially the "...unless they have been convicted" part. It is essential to keep in mind that everyone, even sexual predators are entitled to the presumption of innocence until they are proven guilty.
Posted by: Mather | October 11, 2007 4:06 PM
What is missing from this whole debate is research regarding those individuals whose names are on the 'censored' T-shirts. And there is not that many to find. I can assure you that one specific individual was removed from the campus by the Office of Student Conduct due to sexual assault. This is not an easy task. There is an assumption that the women and men who are writing on these t-shirts are merely pointing fingers. These shirts are a healing process, they give victims a voice.
Why, after 17 years of naming individuals, did UMD choose to ban the shirts. The answer is obvious when looking at the 'rebel shirt line'. I think is it necessary for everyone to dig a bit deeper into this issue.
Posted by: Alum | October 13, 2007 3:25 PM