NY - Male student sues Columbia Univ for 'gender-based harassment and defamation'

cavvy · Apr 24, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rotect-classmate-publicly-branded-rapist.html

When I first read about the female student carrying the mattress around school to protest that her "rapist" was still on campus - I was convinced she must be telling the truth because who in their right mind would go to that extreme to make a public statement like that unless they were victimized.

Now that I've read the complaints filed on behalf of the male student (see below) my thoughts have changed completely. I'm feeling like "he" is the victim.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/262956362/Nungesser-Filed-Complaint
http://www.scribd.com/doc/254707818/Facebook-Conversations
http://www.scribd.com/doc/254707657/Annotated-messages

jjenny · Apr 25, 2015

I didn't pay much attention to this story until I saw this lawsuit.
I don't know what his chances are of getting money from the University.
He might have better chances than most since University cleared him in their investigation.
The alleged rape story, that I find hard to believe.
The accuser didn't report it to the University or police until months later.
Meanwhile she continued to send him messages and respond to messages from him as if nothing happened.
Then she reported it to the University months later. Then she is so upset she carries a mattress around? That's a very delayed reaction.

sonjay · Apr 25, 2015

"...the school allowed Sulkowicz to carry a mattress into classes, the library and campus-provided transportation as part of her senior thesis, that Kessler approved the 'Mattress Project' for her course credit..."

Um, what? Carrying a mattress around is now considered suitable senior thesis material? She's getting course credit for it?

jjenny · Apr 25, 2015

sonjay said:
"...the school allowed Sulkowicz to carry a mattress into classes, the library and campus-provided transportation as part of her senior thesis, that Kessler approved the 'Mattress Project' for her course credit..."

Um, what? Carrying a mattress around is now considered suitable senior thesis material? She's getting course credit for it?

Her major is "visual arts."

sonjay · Apr 25, 2015

jjenny said:
Her major is "visual arts."

Since when is carrying a mattress around considered "art"?

I'm about halfway through reading the male student's complaint. Wow. Yeah, he's the victim here, IMO.

jjenny · Apr 25, 2015

If some red triangle can be considered art to be sold for millions, why not carrying a mattress around? Art is in the eye of the beholder.

Sonya610 · Apr 25, 2015

jjenny said:
If some red triangle can be considered art to be sold for millions, why not carrying a mattress around? Art is in the eye of the beholder.

Carrying a mattress to and from all classes would be a hindrance to others, it would be blocking isleways, doorways, taking up desk space etc...

Besides that she said the whole reason she was carrying the mattress was to protest the fact "her rapist was still going to the same school".

jjenny · Apr 25, 2015

I personally feel sorry for the University. Some young people engaging in all kinds of behavior, and then University is supposed to figure out who did (or didn't) what to whom. Sometimes a long time after something supposedly happened (or didn't happen) as in this particular case. And then each one could claim they were not sufficiently protected by the University from the other one.

sonjay · Apr 25, 2015

jjenny said:
I personally feel sorry for the University. Some young people engaging in all kinds of behavior, and then University is supposed to figure out who did (or didn't) what to whom. Sometimes a long time after something supposedly happened (or didn't happen) as in this particular case. And then each one could claim they were not sufficiently protected by the University from the other one.

The U should at least maintain a neutral stance. The U sponsored this woman's "mattress project" and gave her class credit for it. The U also favored this woman in many other ways, if the details in the male student's legal complaint are true.

wendybtn · Apr 25, 2015

sonjay said:
"...the school allowed Sulkowicz to carry a mattress into classes, the library and campus-provided transportation as part of her senior thesis, that Kessler approved the 'Mattress Project' for her course credit..."

Um, what? Carrying a mattress around is now considered suitable senior thesis material? She's getting course credit for it?

She wants one of those degrees where people won't be bothering her with job offers after graduation!

wendybtn · Apr 25, 2015

Remember when college and working during hs was supposed to help you prepare for adulthood? Those days are over.

Nova · Apr 26, 2015

The sky isn't falling, folks! I have a degree from the same institution (same department even) and nobody has ever asked me the topic of my senior thesis.

The thesis of Mattress Girl will have a written and/or oral component to show she has mastered the concepts of a professional in her field, which seems to be performance art. (I am confident; I have no direct knowledge of this case and haven't been on campus in decades.)

I do agree that universities have a tough job dealing with children who are suddenly free of most adult supervision. But, traditionally, colleges have done their best to sweep sexual assaults under the rug. This may well be a case of overreacting in the opposite direction, but do tell your daughters not to assume they are safe with every boy/man who attends school with them.

And watch the drugs and alcohol!

(No, it shouldn't be the girl's job to police her date, but I'd rather raise safe women than worry about how things SHOULD be.)

jjenny · Apr 26, 2015

Nova said:
The sky isn't falling, folks! I have a degree from the same institution (same department even) and nobody has ever asked me the topic of my senior thesis.

The thesis of Mattress Girl will have a written and/or oral component to show she has mastered the concepts of a professional in her field, which seems to be performance art. (I am confident; I have no direct knowledge of this case and haven't been on campus in decades.)

I do agree that universities have a tough job dealing with children who are suddenly free of most adult supervision. But, traditionally, colleges have done their best to sweep sexual assaults under the rug. This may well be a case of overreacting in the opposite direction, but do tell your daughters not to assume they are safe with every boy/man who attends school with them.

And watch the drugs and alcohol!

(No, it shouldn't be the girl's job to police her date, but I'd rather raise safe women than worry about how things SHOULD be.)

University's panel cleared him, yet she was allowed to carry around a mattress for her thesis project. So one was left with an impression he managed to get away with it, instead of he isn't guilty. I can see how his reputation and career prospects suffered from the accusation.

Elley Mae · Apr 26, 2015

snipets

She also joined Alpha Delta Phi, Columbia’s co-ed “hipster frat.” As she puts it dryly, “Only the most hipster of the hipster kids can get in.” That’s where she met Paul, a film fanatic and rower. “He was a nice person,” she says matter-of-factly, “a cool person who was secretly really crazy.”

They had sex twice.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/09/emma-sulkowicz-campus-sexual-assault-activism.html
September 21, 2014

One night there was a party for the orientation leaders. In the ivy-covered courtyard outside Wien Hall, Paul kissed Sulkowicz, who says that she was sober except for a sip of gin-and-Sprite. He was buzzed and carrying a handle of vodka. While they were having consensual sex in her dorm room, she alleges that he suddenly pushed her legs against her chest, choked her, slapped her, and anally penetrated her as she struggled and clearly repeated “No.”

Sulkowicz didn’t report the incident at first. But when two classmates told her that Paul had been abusive to them too—one who had been in a long-term relationship with him, the other alleging he groped her—she pressed charges with the administration.

jjenny · Apr 26, 2015

Another point in his lawsuit that I find very telling.
She accused him of a specific form of assault (sodomy), leaving the impression that this was the act she objected to (since encounter started consensually and they already had prior consensual encounters). I certainly find it believable that this type of situation could happen.
But yet he has a message from her (which he included in the lawsuit), requesting that specific act.

Elley Mae · Apr 26, 2015

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/09/columbia-emma-sulkowicz-mattress-rape-performance-interview.html

The last time we spoke you said you had filed a report with the NYPD and they were starting to investigate. What is the status of that?
It got transferred to the district attorney’s office, and I decided I didn’t want to pursue it any further because they told it me it would take nine months to a year to actually go to court, which would be after I graduated and probably wanting to erase all of my memories of Columbia from my brain anyway, so I decided not to pursue it.

SStarr33 · Apr 26, 2015

It looks like Emily never produced the girl who she said she told about the event who told her it was rape.

I hope he gets millions from this lawsuit and I hope the UVA case results in the same.

WTH is wrong with these girls?

jjenny · Apr 26, 2015

Elley Mae said:
http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/09/columbia-emma-sulkowicz-mattress-rape-performance-interview.html

The last time we spoke you said you had filed a report with the NYPD and they were starting to investigate. What is the status of that?
It got transferred to the district attorney’s office, and I decided I didn’t want to pursue it any further because they told it me it would take nine months to a year to actually go to court, which would be after I graduated and probably wanting to erase all of my memories of Columbia from my brain anyway, so I decided not to pursue it.

That's another point of contention. She claims she decided not to pursue the case. He claims in his lawsuit he was told (through his lawyer) that there was not sufficient evidence to pursue the case.

Supernovae · Apr 26, 2015

^Leaving aside the rest of the dispute, that could amount to basically the same thing. If the primary evidence was her witness statement and she withdrew it, then there wouldn't be enough evidence to pursue charges.

jjenny · Apr 26, 2015

Supernovae said:
^Leaving aside the rest of the dispute, that could amount to basically the same thing. If the primary evidence was her witness statement and she withdrew it, then there wouldn't be enough evidence to pursue charges.

You should check out the lawsuit. The timing of it all is explained in there.
Regardless, I would have a hard time envisioning a case like this making it to trial, even if the accuser wanted to proceed.
It wasn't reported until much later. There is no physical evidence even of sex taking place, let alone rape.
There are no witnesses. Accuser claims she was violently raped, yet continued to communicate with the accused as if nothing happened.
He even has a message from her requesting the specific act she later accused him of forcing on her.
University board cleared the accused even though they have even lower standards than a criminal court.
I don't see a DA jumping on this opportunity. DA is only supposed to proceed if he reasonably believes that he/she could get a conviction.

NY - Male student sues Columbia Univ for 'gender-based harassment and defamation'

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Former Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Inactive

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

DNASolves

Online statistics

Forum statistics