Eye On America | College sex scandals have Vassar implications

Ross Weingarten Opinions Editor

The year 2006 may be remembered as the year of the Democrats. Their stunning success in last week’s midterm elections may reverse the course of the country, changing America’s stance on foreign policy, taxes, and other crucial issues.

But there is a much less thought-about, yet important trend that emerged this year: the college sex scandal. In the last 10 months, there have been a number of scandals relating to sexual deviance on college campuses, and two have grabbed headlines, both of which center on star athletes. While these cases are the products of environments very different from Vassar, there are lessons to be learned from both that apply to this campus.

The most well-known is the Duke University lacrosse scandal. In March 2006 it was revealed that an exotic dancer who was hired by the lacrosse team to perform at an off-campus party has accused a number of the players of raping her in a bathroom. A few weeks later, three members of the team were indicted. The season was cancelled, and both the Duke campus and the nation exploded over the controversy. At play were themes of race (the accuser was black, while all three of the accused were white), class (Duke is notorious for its mostly wealthy student body, while the town of Durham is mostly middle-class), and the role of athletics on a campus where sports are a crucial part of college life.

The other, less notorious case involved the ex-quarterback of the Naval Academy football team. In January of this year, a female midshipman accused Lamar Owens of raping her in her dorm room. The case went to trial in June, and Owens was found not guilty of the rape. Although he was convicted of two lesser charges (sex in the dormitory is forbidden at the academy, and he inadvertantly walked on the accuser’s hall after the incident, a violation of a military protective order), he was not sentenced by the military jury.

Both cases captured national attention, not because alleged rapes on campuses are so rare, but because they involved star athletes. There is a common perception that athletes such as Owens and the accused Duke lacrosse players consider themselves above the law and are able to act as they please based on their exploits on the playing field.

In both cases, the immediate reaction of the public was one of disgust and hatred towards the athletes. The athletes were presumed guilty. Protests were held on the Duke campus in the weeks after the incident was revealed, and the environment was so charged that many lacrosse players felt uncomfortable walking to class because of something that their teammates were accused of doing. Hiring an exotic dancer was a mistake, but the entire team was punished for an event that may or may not have happened.

At the Naval Academy, Owens, beloved by his peers, was castigated by the administration and immediately put on probation. Even though he has completed his academic course work, Owens has still not been allowed to graduate pending the results of an internal investigation at the academy.
While the public was quick to condemn, the evidence has shown that both cases were incredibly weak. Owens, of course, was acquitted. In Durham, the accuser’s story has changed a number of times, and another dancer that was at the party has called the allegations “a crock.” As evidence has waned, the case has receded from headlines.

The Naval Academy case is over, and the Duke case is winding down. However, for Owens and the accused lacrosse players, the cases will never end. For the rest of their lives, they will be known as arrogant athletes who did not think about the ramifications of their actions at best. At worst, they are rapists. This is a travesty. Our system of law demands that we consider all individuals innocent until proven guilty. Yet public outcry was so strong against these young men that, in the American conscience, they will always be guilty. Their lives will never be the same.

At Vassar, some people hold the perception that many athletes, especially male athletes, are arrogant and consider themselves above the regulations of the school. Labels such as “dumb jocks” and “drunks,” are often aimed at Vassar students, to such an extent that it is suggested there are even men who take advantage of women.

But stereotyping is a two-way street. A number of athletes criticize the “Vassar” stereotypes visible on campus, at least behind closed doors. A liberal attitude towards homosexuality, being politically active, and even the fashion sense of some students are viewed by some athletes as “weird” and not realities of college but only prevalent on Vassar’s campus.

Yet let us remember that only a small portion of students, athletes or not, believe these stereotypes. More importantly, everyone at this school is entitled to feel comfortable, regardless of what their interests are. As for athletes, they are students first, and they go to class and are forced to perform at a high academic level just like everyone else. And what is deemed weird by some should not be chastised, even privately, but rather celebrated as a way to expose oneself to different beliefs and ways of life.

Before we condemn others based on their way of dressing, their extra-curricular interests, or any other facet of their identity, we should remember that all of us are worthy of a thorough investigation into what kinds of people we really are before judgement is passed. It is a shame that Owens and the Duke lacrosse players will not be afforded the same luxury in the future.