Tennessee students protest in support of alleged rape victims (Photo)
A group of Tennessee students are protesting outside of a press conference for athletic director Dave Hart in solidarity with rape victims.
It’s been an ugly week at the University of Tennessee where a Title IX investigation is looking into a culture that’s been created a hostile sexual environment where student-athletes are not held responsible for sexual assaults and of having a biased judicial system against victims.
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Two more plaintiffs added their name to the lawsuit on Wednesday to bring the total up to eight females and a sworn affidavit from former player Drae Bowles who accuses head football coach Butch Jones of calling him a traitor for helping one of the alleged sexual assault victims. Bowles also said he was assaulted by a teammate and ostracized from the team.
Further, Matt Slovin of The Tennessean reports that former Tennessee vice chancellor Tim Rogers made repeated attempts to warn the university about the high number of sexual assaults by male athletes.
He says Tennessee chancellor Jimmy Cheek ignored these warnings and allowed female students at Tennessee to be vulnerable after the university and athletic department tolerated sexual assaults according to the lawsuit.
Protestors outside Tennessee AD Dave Hart's presser. Lots of signs: "We support Jane Doe(s), not 1 more" pic.twitter.com/Uks9j2xYe1
— Zac E. (@rzacellis) February 25, 2016
"Vols for Jane" is the chant outside Hart's presser. pic.twitter.com/sylAuRyorp
— Matt Slovin (@MattSlovin) February 25, 2016
Butch Jones released a statement denying the allegations he called Bowles a traitor and the University released a statement saying they acted properly and they’re continuing to work to prevent assaults and help victims.
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When the news broke of the latest updates to the lawsuit on Wednesday, social media was full of comments bashing the alleged victims and their character by calling these suits money grabs. Instead of bashing the victims, maybe they should be asking why these allegations continue to happen at the University of Tennessee.
Good for the protestors at Tennessee today for standing up in solidarity with the alleged victims and giving them a voice, because far too often the victims don’t have a voice at all.