New York Post: Minnesota football rape case emblematic of campus witch-hunt culture

[BleedGopher]

per the New York Post:

After a college football coach dared to stand up for 10 black players’ legal rights, a mob of at least 3,000 has petitioned for the University of Minnesota’s president and athletic director to fire him.

Such is today’s campus witch-hunt culture.

Coach Tracy Claeys committed the heresy of questioning whether UMinn’s Title IX adjudication denied his players due process, and supposedly enlightened liberal activists now want him charred at the stake for it.

The controversy began earlier this past fall, when several football players and one female student had a pervy sexual encounter the night after the Gophers beat Oregon State. An 82-page report by the university’s Title IX office leaves no question that these men treated the young woman with cringeworthy disrespect and acted with a profound lack of wisdom.

But there’s a legal difference between an orgy and a gang-rape.

Part of the sexual encounter was taped, and police who reviewed it described the alleged victim as “lucid, alert, somewhat playful and fully conscious,” adding that she appeared a consenting participant. The Hennepin County Attorney’s office didn’t press charges, citing insufficient evidence.

Absent proof of guilt, the football players involved remained innocent in the eyes of the law.

Not so at the University of Minnesota.

http://nypost.com/2017/01/01/minnesota-football-rape-case-emblematic-of-campus-witch-hunt-culture/

Go Gophers!!

 

[Jack jones]

Amen!

 

[TruthSeeker]

The female author of that piece gets it.

 

[Tucker32]

Well written. I hope Coyle and Kaler read it, and wish the Pioneer Press editors and other local reporters/columnists would take the time to review. She actually took a thoughtful approach to the situation, rather than reading a few pages of a report, and then decide that 10-20 people raped this girl and should be thrown to the masses as one collective group of criminals.


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[Ignatius L Hoops]

"After a college football coach dared to stand up for 10 black players’ legal rights, a mob of at least 3,000 has petitioned for the University of Minnesota’s president and athletic director to fire him."

A "mob" signing a "petition" is a pretty nice mob. The whole purpose of the article was to be able to use "pervy" and "night of degenerate copulation" in sentances. It's like a Dan Barreiro segment.

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

Hit this right on the head! Took someone from NY post to write a true article! Well written!

 

[mkAz]

Best article on the situation that I've seen.

 

[bottlebass]

Perfectly sums up how I feel.

 

[Iceland12]

Along with Jon Krawczyski's article this outlines the "other" side of the incident.

Anybody think that this column, like many of the "Hang 'um and fire Claeys" stories and columns, will get any airplay around here?

Nah, my neither...

 

[bottlebass]

Along with Jon Krawczyski's article this outlines the "other" side of the incident.

Anybody think that this column, like many of the "Hang 'um and fire Claeys" stories and columns, will get any airplay around here?

Nah, my neither...

Nope, it's not the "sexy" side of this story. I just emailed coyle this article though. Maybe he'll read it.

 

[kellyleeks]

They did fail to mention the fact that a 17 year old recruit was brought into this situation. The Title IX standards are absurd, but these players aren't angels either.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Universities are not equipped to be amatur justice systems.... the results have been ****ty in all directions.

The secrecy surrounding them alone should be a serious concern.

 

[kellyleeks]

Universities are not equipped to be amatur justice systems.... the results have been ****ty in all directions.

The secrecy surrounding them alone should be a serious concern.

Why not just outsource this to a law firm?

 

[LesBolstad]

Why not just outsource this to a law firm?

Another $900,000 for a witch hunt paid to some cronie law firm as in the travelgate invest? No thanks.

 

[kellyleeks]

Another $900,000 for a witch hunt paid to some cronie law firm as in the travelgate invest? No thanks.

The U clearly can't run this process. That said, maybe the law itself is so flawed that there's no cure.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Why not just outsource this to a law firm?

Probably because there are a lot of folks at the university who feel they're qualified / good at it / want to do it..... maybe want to do it too much.

I think I'd be really good at it too, but then again I'm probably not qualified either.

 

[Atl Gopher]

I have not had the heart to read the report but when the girl is described as playful, etc., it sure sounds consensual. To me the behavior of all participants is deplorable and showed incredibly bad judgement. A recruit was entrusted to them by their coaching staff and they let their coaches, their team and their school down.

That being stated, a witch-hunt is exactly what this was and still is. Joseph McCarthy would be very proud of U's team representing Title IX. The author of the article makes the point rather clearly "black players". Would there have been less of an uproar if they were white players? Of the 3,000 witch-hunting mob petition signing folks, how many were black, I wonder? I can't believe that I am possibly supporting the pulling of the race card here, but again I wonder.

Coach Rick's recruiting specialists did what in Louisville; paying for strippers and sex parties (whatever that is)? What was their punishment? Didn't those parties involve fathers and sons (minors I assume).

Dear Mr. Kaler: It is time for you to step up. The punishment for all directly involved should be suspension, with time served suspensions over. Those not involved but dragged into this witch-hunt in some way need to be absolved and apologies given. Title IX needs to be clarified as a vehicle to protect women's' rights and to protect women in general, because that is still something desperately needed on campuses. Let this entire experience help to ensure that McCarthyism (a campaign or practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations) has no place on our campus or any other campus for that matter. Let the statement made by the U's football team when threatening to boycott the Holiday Bowl, supported by its coach at great personal risk to his career, be valued as the attempt to ensure due process and remind all that in our country we are innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Block M]

Sorry, as a proud male I still think suspensions and expulsions in order for these ass-clowns. I understand some of the players were less-involved and might have been guilty by association. It happens. Hopefully they learn from it and move on, likely to different institutions for a fresh start.

Just because these guys aren't going to prison does not mean they should still be on the team.
Many bad decisions made that night by all parties involved; this is the fallout.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Sorry, as a proud male I still think suspensions and expulsions in order for these ass-clowns. I understand some of the players were less-involved and might have been guilty by association. It happens. Hopefully they learn from it and move on, likely to different institutions for a fresh start.

Just because these guys aren't going to prison does not mean they should still be on the team.
Many bad decisions made that night by all parties involved; this is the fallout.

I volunteer you to take the next "guilt by association" hit.

 

[Deckergopher]

Sorry, as a proud male I still think suspensions and expulsions in order for these ass-clowns. I understand some of the players were less-involved and might have been guilty by association. It happens. Hopefully they learn from it and move on, likely to different institutions for a fresh start.

Just because these guys aren't going to prison does not mean they should still be on the team.
Many bad decisions made that night by all parties involved; this is the fallout.

I just don't get your thinking ... You must be from another planet..

 

[bottlebass]

Sorry, as a proud male I still think suspensions and expulsions in order for these ass-clowns. I understand some of the players were less-involved and might have been guilty by association. It happens. Hopefully they learn from it and move on, likely to different institutions for a fresh start.

Just because these guys aren't going to prison does not mean they should still be on the team.
Many bad decisions made that night by all parties involved; this is the fallout.

I actually agree the player/s responsible for the recruit in that situation should be suspended or serve some penalty. The "guilty by association" talk is about as dumb as it gets.

 

[Deleted_User]

Claeys does not need to be fired. The recruiting process needs to be reformed. Players also need to be better informed about the how to protect the reputation of themselves and the U. Group sex culture needs to end.

 

[Tucker32]

They did fail to mention the fact that a 17 year old recruit was brought into this situation. The Title IX standards are absurd, but these players aren't angels either.

This is true, and it wasn't all ten that brought the recruit into the situation. That is still a huge issue with how many in local media have chosen to portray the situation.


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[Go4]

I volunteer you to take the next "guilt by association" hit.

 

[Panthadad2]

Sorry, as a proud male I still think suspensions and expulsions in order for these ass-clowns. I understand some of the players were less-involved and might have been guilty by association. It happens. Hopefully they learn from it and move on, likely to different institutions for a fresh start.

Just because these guys aren't going to prison does not mean they should still be on the team.
Many bad decisions made that night by all parties involved; this is the fallout.

Yes it was an "ass clown" act in the opinion of many. But (this is a serious question) is there any group sex scenario involving multiple male students and one female student that you would find acceptable, no matter how consensual at the time? What if the act at the time was completely consensual and the female changed her opinion later? What then? I think many on this board, in the larger community, and probably in the EOAA office as well, probably can't see any scenario that's acceptable involving that kind of group sex. If that's the case, then either make group sex against school policy outright or defer the issues to legal authorities.

For what it's worth, I read the report. I have a teenage daughter and the beginning of the report (the female's recount of the incident) was especially hard to read. However, her story seemed to be spun in a way to absolve her of any accountability and there were some major seemingly illogical statements and actions (or lack thereof...like leaving...my wife pointed that out). I tell my daughter to make good decisions because she's accountable for her actions (there will never truly be equal opportunity without equal accountability) and used this messy situation as a teaching moment ...hoping she never gets involved in this kind of nasty mess.

 

[bigticket1]

Nope, it's not the "sexy" side of this story. I just emailed coyle this article though. Maybe he'll read it.

Can they get the internet in the bunker ?

 

[Iceland12]

Probably a good idea to post a story that has been posted again in this thread. It adds more background for the NY Post column.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/12/27/umn-football-boycott-over-tensions-remain

 

[UpnorthGo4]

I have not had the heart to read the report but when the girl is described as playful, etc., it sure sounds consensual.

Here we go again. We have another poster commenting on the EOAA report without actually reading it. It has been more common than not in GopherHole since the report was leaked to KSTP (probably by one of the players). Why educate yourself about the report when you can have anonymous internet posters and right wing newspaper columnists do it for you?

There was no witch hunt and there was no guilt by association. Each of the players has been accused of violating multiple sections of the U's Student Code of Conduct. Much of the evidence the accusations are based on comes directly from the players themselves and not the alleged victim.

- Four players are accused of Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Relationship Violence.

- Eight players are accused of Sexual Harassment.

- Three players are accused of lying to investigators.

- Nine players are accused to violating Sections 6, 8, and 19 of the Student Code of Conduct.

Every accused player will have a Student Code of Conduct hearing in which they will be represented by an attorney who will be able to challenge every accusation in the EOAA report, call witnesses on their client's behalf, and cross-examine adverse witnesses. Each of the players will be able to appeal any adverse ruling against them during the hearing, or sue the U in federal courtif they don't like the result of their appeal.

Every student at the U has to go through the exact same disciplinary process if they are accused of violating the Student Code of Conduct. Why are the posters in this thread demanding that the players be exempt from this process? I think it is because either they haven't read the EOAA report, or they don't understand the investigation/hearing/appeal process at the U.

Here is the link to the report. http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/U of M EOAA redacted5.pdf

Everyone should read it so they don't continue to show themselves to be morons by commenting on on matters they have made very little effort to understand.

 

[nsmike]

There is absolutely no question that, the player that brought a 17 yr old recruit into the situation, should be dismissed from the team, a case for expulsion certainly can be made. We need to separate that from the Title IX process, there is no question in my mind that, Kimberly Hewitt has been gunning for the football program for a while. The EOAA ignored the accuser not making the tape available to the investigators, when the police and District Attorneys both said that, viewing the tape made it look like she was a willing participant. Too ignore that one fact, then find that the accuser was more believable, should tell you all you need to know about the process.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

It's a complex topic but sometimes I think societal expectations and pressures come into play. For example, she told the police she wasn't sure if it was a rape situation (the entire thing) and particularly the threesome with Djam was consensual. After consulting with her attorney and likely her friends she changed her opinion based on the "affirmative consent" concept the U adopted in 2015. So, it's possible something she was ashamed of and regretted became an assault in hindsight and when framed differently by advocates.

It seemed like she simply wanted to put this behind her but the complaint was filed and facilitated by her mother and now she's become exploited as a pawn in the EOAAs game. Her name is out there and the situation has become 1000x worse. No criminal charges. Nobody wins and everyone loses including some relatively innocent players.