This is truly abhorrent.
Many folks call The Carolina Way a myth — but it’s not. Believing a myth can be innocent, borne of ignorance. In fact, The Carolina Way is a giant, perpetuated lie that has bred a culture that believes no ethical or moral sacrifice is too great to ensure athletic superiority.
The latest of a long list of examples over the past few years:
From CNN.com (includes 3:16 video; make sure you watch in its entirety).
The federal government is investigating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after students complained that sexual assault and harassment complaints were not handled properly.
In the complaint, the women describe an atmosphere of sexual violence at the school and allege campus officials allowed a hostile environment with one even comparing rape to a game of football.
In an actual quote in the video interview, one of the victims, Annie Clark, says this about the UNC administrator who interviewed her:
“She told me rape is like football. And if you look back on the game, what would you have done differently in that situation?
Clark added she felt like she was being blamed for the rape.
Also in the video, a second victim of sexual assault, Andrea Pino, added this about talking to a university advisor:
And then when I said I’d been through a trauma and I was having difficulty adjusting…they said well everyone’s having a difficult time adjusting, you’re just being lazy, maybe you can’t handle Carolina.
Annie Clarke adds this about what she expects federal investigators will find:
They’re gonna find there’s a pervasive culture of sexual assault where the university has acted with deliberate indifference.
Again, like every time in the past, where is the outrage? Every single person associated with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill should live in perpetual shame until they collectively demand accountability from the administration.
Depending on what federal investigators find, I’m curious just what involvement the NCAA will soon have in regards to this. Keep in mind, many folks believe the NCAA set a dangerous precedent by overreaching its jurisdiction with its punitive punishment of Penn State for what many believed was a state and federal legal matter.
*****
In related news (WRAL.com):
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said Tuesday that it is suspending an Honor Court case against a student who accuses the school of retaliating against her for filing a federal complaint about the handling of sex assault cases on campus.
Sophomore Landen Gambill is accused of violating UNC’s honor code by creating an intimidating environment for the man who she says raped her, although she hasn’t named him publicly. A campus board earlier cleared him of the sexual assault charge and but found him guilty of harassing her. He faces no criminal charges.
…
Thorp said Tuesday that he asked the case to be suspended until an outside review of the retaliation claim could be investigated.
“For several weeks, the university has grappled with how best to respond to a public claim of retaliation against the university while maintaining the autonomy and integrity of our Honor Court proceedings and the privacy of the individuals involved,†Thorp wrote in a letter to students, faculty and staff.
“Recognizing the potential conflicts that may exist by allowing both processes to continue, we have asked the Student Attorney General to suspend the Honor Court proceeding pending an external review of these allegations of retaliation,” he said. “The university takes all allegations of retaliation seriously, whether against an individual or an institution, and this allegation is no exception.
