SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
VOLUME CL, ISSUE 87
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Former student sues U. for FOOTBALL Late-game heroics lift Bears over Princeton gender-based discrimination Touchdown from Pena
Male student was found responsible for sexual misconduct, suspended from campus in 2014 By KATE TALERICO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A former member of the class of 2017 has filed a lawsuit against the University for violation of due process and gender-based discrimination in a sexual misconduct hearing, according to documents from the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. The accused was removed from campus before the University conducted an investigation, according to an Oct. 9, 2015 court document. A University hearing then took place in November 2014 and resulted in his suspension from the University for two-and-a-half years. The man, referred to in the documents as John Doe, was found responsible for non-consensual sexual misconduct, sexual misconduct involving penetration, violent physical force or injury and illegal possession or use of alcohol following a party at Barbour Hall on Oct. 11, 2014. The man is being represented by Andrew Miltenberg, a litigator who has already represented students from Columbia, Vassar College, the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst and Drew University in sexual misconduct cases involving similar allegations of Title IX discrimination against men. Title IX prohibits gender-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding, and it is typically used to protect women’s rights. Miltenberg is representing a man called John Doe in two separate cases, one filed in April 2015 against the University and the other filed in October 2015 against the woman, Jane Doe of California. In the latter case, John Doe of Texas — who attended an “elite” university in Providence — is suing Jane Doe of California for spreading false reports of sexual misconduct that have allegedly damaged his reputation and educational opportunities. Miltenberg has so far refused to confirm that the plaintiffs in both cases are the same John Doe. But the allegations in both cases center on an Oct. 11, 2014 party in an on-campus dormitory and the details of the cases align closely. “We feel that the complaint relates a very compelling set of facts against Brown,” Miltenberg told the Providence Journal, declining to comment further. During the party, John Doe and Jane Doe began a friendly conversation and » See LAWSUIT, page 2
’17 with 57 seconds remaining in contest secures win for Bruno By CALEB MILLER STAFF WRITER
On the first play of the game, electrifying All-Ivy kick returner Alex Jette ’17 took the opening kick and raced 99 yards to give the Bears a seven-point lead. On the last play of the game, Richard Jarvis ’17 slammed the Princeton quarterback into the ground for a sack that clinched a Bears victory by the same margin. The plays bookended the football team’s 38-31 win over Princeton Saturday and represented two of the team’s most impressive elements: Jette and the defensive line. The Family Weekend win marks the third consecutive week that the Bears (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) have taken the lead late in the fourth quarter of a victory. Suddenly the down-and-out, 0-2 Bruno team of three weeks ago has transformed into a formidable 3-2 squad with a taste of Ivy League success. “I’m proud of the way we fight,” said Head Coach Phil Estes P’18. “We fought all the way to the end, and that’s happened three games in a row now.” A sizeable, parent-filled crowd
ALEX WAINGER / HERALD
Matthew Byer ’18 and Zachary Gillen ’16 reach for the football around Princeton’s wide receiver during the Bears’ 38-31 win Saturday. watched the team battle neck and neck for the whole contest, with the teams remaining within one score of each other for all but two brief minutes in the second quarter. As the clock wound
under seven minutes remaining in the final quarter, the teams were knotted at 31 apiece. Princeton had marched into Bruno » See FOOTBALL, page 2
MPC workshop challenges systemic sexism Local artists explore American Muslim experience
COURTESY OF CHRYSANTHEMUM TRAN
Facilitators discussed prejudice against women, particularly those who are black, Latina or transgender at Friday’s workshop.
Minority Peer Counselors facilitate workshop that analyzes effects of a patriarchal society By LAUREN ARATANI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Eighty students, family members and faculty members gathered in SmithBuonanno Hall Friday night to attend a Minority Peer Counselor workshop on the way society discriminates against women. The workshop, entitled “Squash Sexism,” was facilitated by MPCs Haley De
INSIDE
La Rosa ’17, Waleed Nasir ’18, Dianara Rivera ’18 and Nikkie Ubinas ’18. The facilitators established definitions of key words that would be used throughout the workshop. Rivera defined sexism as “a system of oppression that privileges maleness and masculinity, specifically cisgender men, and disadvantages women and feminine identities.” Sexism “not only describes prejudice against women and feminine people but also individuals who renounce normative gender roles and identities,” Nasir said. The workshop also focused on sexism that women of certain racial and gender identities experience, especially black, Latina and transgender women, in
relation to lack of access to health care and higher incarceration rates. The slides accompanying the workshop stated that black women are incarcerated at a rate three times higher than white women, and 21 percent of transgender women have been incarcerated in their lifetimes. Ubinas said the foundation for sexism is patriarchy, which is defined as “a social political system that asserts male dominance and control over women and feminine people.” “A patriarchal society consists of a power structure that places men at the top of all power hierarchies throughout institutions and individual relationships,” Rivera said. The patriarchy “directly affects everyone, but in different ways,” and people “internalize sexist ideals” that are established through the patriarchy, De La Rosa said. Audience members participated in a “patriarchy activity,” in which they raised their hands if they related to certain statements. Statements included “I have assumed that an author of an academic work I was reading was a man,” and, “I’ve felt like I couldn’t go out past sundown alone.” Audience members raised their hands in agreement to both of those » See SEXISM , page 2
Exhibit, panel encourage Providence citizens to engage meaningfully with Muslim stories By ANDREW DECK CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Local patrons of the arts gathered Friday night at the Athenaeum for a panel discussion on “More Than My Religion,” an exhibit of work by local American Muslim artists at the Providence City Hall. Photographs, charcoal portraits, abstract collages and henna paintings line the walls of the second floor of City Hall as part of the exhibition, which runs from Oct. 8 to Nov. 18. Keeping with the name of the show, the works feature a diversity of subjects, often distinct from Islam but all infused with the experiences of their American Muslim artists. Displaying work by local artists in civic spaces is one way Providence tries to realize its claim to the nickname “The Creative Capital,” said
Stephanie Fortunato, deputy director of the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism. Fortunato said she sees this particular exhibit as a public service. “Art is a lens through which we can learn about the people and communities who also call (Providence) home.” Ralph Mero, an attendee at the exhibit, said, “The city is using this public space in an effort to create a broad appreciation for (Muslim) people.” During the panel, part of the Athenaeum’s “Salon Series,” the exhibit’s artists and organizers discussed the experiences of American Muslims in Rhode Island. The topic of American Muslims is “often brought up in the public square at an enormous decibel level without a lot of thought,” said Christina Bevilacqua, the Athenaeum’s director of public engagement. The panel on “More Than My Religion” was a way to engage critically with the issue, she added. Ijlal Muzaffar, assistant professor of modern architectural history at » See PANEL, page 3
WEATHER
MONDAY, OC TOBER 19, 2015
UNIVERSITY NEWS British ambassador analyzes relationship between politics and climate change
SPORTS After two losses, women’s rugby bounced back this weekend, shutting out Columbia
COMMENTARY Dunbar ’16 et al: Universal free speech is myth, and pain and trauma are not teaching tools
COMMENTARY Bewes, Ravindranathan: Žižek proved hypocritical at Roger Henkle memorial lecture
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 7
PAGE 7
TODAY
TOMORROW
49 / 38
64 / 47