HARTFORD, Conn. -
A satirical column that uses derogatory
language to mock women for one-night stands has prompted harassment
claims against a Connecticut college newspaper that published the
piece.
Student editors at The Fairfield Mirror are concerned the controversy could affect the paper's $30,000 funding stream from Fairfield University and jeopardize the paper's editorial independence. The Catholic university in southwest Connecticut has about 5,000 students,
Thomas Pellegrino, the Jesuit university's dean of students, said the column violated the student newspaper's ethical and procedural guidelines. But he said Thursday that the newspaper would not necessarily lose its funding.
University officials want the paper's editors to appear before a student conduct board, which is reviewing complaints from four female students who say they felt harassed and offended by the column.
The Oct. 1 piece by a staff columnist advises male students how to navigate "the road to pleasure town" and share details afterward with buddies to ensure that "her walk of shame is an induction into your hall of fame."
It also tells the men to "be ruthless" to avoid getting diseases from "that hood rat" and to get "an entertaining story that is both hilarious and humiliating" at her expense.
The newspaper later published an apology for the column and updated its procedures, including editing standards to tighten the rules on language that could be considered divisive or offensive.
Editor-in-Chief Thomas Cleary, 21, said Thursday he does not think the paper's funding is in jeopardy, but did not know for certain. He said the student journalists also worry that the conduct board proceedings could have ramifications if the Mirror's independence is compromised.
"I think we've realized how much of an effect the columns have on people on campus," he said, adding they thought before publishing the piece that it was satirical enough to be viewed as "close to the line but never really crossing it."
Pellegrino said the complaint was the first directed at an organization rather than an individual under the campus anti-harassment policy. He said he has asked two groups -- one including faculty and another made up of faculty, administrators and students -- to provide the student conduct board with opinion papers on whether they believe the harassment policy should apply to the newspaper.
"I want the conduct board to have the benefit of these opinion papers," he said. "We don't have any precedent for this."
Pellegrino said that while he believes the newspaper violated a contract with the school by publishing the column, funding for the paper has not been pulled. He said the editors have submitted a revised code of procedure and recommended creating an advisory board.
Pellegrino also said that administrators do not want to take over editorial control of the Mirror.
AP-ES-11-12-09 1819EST
Student editors at The Fairfield Mirror are concerned the controversy could affect the paper's $30,000 funding stream from Fairfield University and jeopardize the paper's editorial independence. The Catholic university in southwest Connecticut has about 5,000 students,
Thomas Pellegrino, the Jesuit university's dean of students, said the column violated the student newspaper's ethical and procedural guidelines. But he said Thursday that the newspaper would not necessarily lose its funding.
University officials want the paper's editors to appear before a student conduct board, which is reviewing complaints from four female students who say they felt harassed and offended by the column.
The Oct. 1 piece by a staff columnist advises male students how to navigate "the road to pleasure town" and share details afterward with buddies to ensure that "her walk of shame is an induction into your hall of fame."
It also tells the men to "be ruthless" to avoid getting diseases from "that hood rat" and to get "an entertaining story that is both hilarious and humiliating" at her expense.
The newspaper later published an apology for the column and updated its procedures, including editing standards to tighten the rules on language that could be considered divisive or offensive.
Editor-in-Chief Thomas Cleary, 21, said Thursday he does not think the paper's funding is in jeopardy, but did not know for certain. He said the student journalists also worry that the conduct board proceedings could have ramifications if the Mirror's independence is compromised.
"I think we've realized how much of an effect the columns have on people on campus," he said, adding they thought before publishing the piece that it was satirical enough to be viewed as "close to the line but never really crossing it."
Pellegrino said the complaint was the first directed at an organization rather than an individual under the campus anti-harassment policy. He said he has asked two groups -- one including faculty and another made up of faculty, administrators and students -- to provide the student conduct board with opinion papers on whether they believe the harassment policy should apply to the newspaper.
"I want the conduct board to have the benefit of these opinion papers," he said. "We don't have any precedent for this."
Pellegrino said that while he believes the newspaper violated a contract with the school by publishing the column, funding for the paper has not been pulled. He said the editors have submitted a revised code of procedure and recommended creating an advisory board.
Pellegrino also said that administrators do not want to take over editorial control of the Mirror.
AP-ES-11-12-09 1819EST
The little tramps were offended? And the editors had to apologize? Maybe they prefer to be called"loose women" or "sluts"?
ricbee (11/12/2009, 4:54 PM )