Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, January 10, 2013

University of California, Irvine: Stop the conflation of Physical Abuse charges with Sexual Assault and Rape | Occupy UCI!

University of California, Irvine: Stop the conflation of Physical Abuse charges with Sexual Assault and Rape | Occupy UCI!:


University of California, Irvine: Stop the conflation of Physical Abuse charges with Sexual Assault and Rape

Reblogged from: radfemcol.tumblr.com
Sign the Letter here:
https://www.change.org/petitions/university-of-california-irvine-administration-stop-the-conflation-of-physical-abuse-charges-with-sexual-assault-and-rape
We  the undersigned, are ashamed that our university has charged a student activist with physical abuse with no evidence to support these charges.  At the same time, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is failing to admit responsibility of the physical harassment that this student activist experienced by UCI administrative staff. Even more shocking, the verbiage of the policy that he was accused of violating trivializes acts of rape and sexual assault which occur with frequency at our school.
On  November 8th 2012, a student activist was charged with violating Student Conduct Policy 102.08. This charge resulted from the student’s participation in a peaceful march through the UCI bookstore to highlight the ongoing privatization of the California public university system.  As protesters entered the bookstore, several students were assaulted by administration and staff.  Shamefully, the UCI administration continues their silence about the incident, failing to admit responsibility of the physical harassment that student protestors experienced at the hands of staff and administration.  Furthermore,in an attempt to white-wash their actions, the University charged a peaceful student protestor with physical assault.  This underscores the true intent of the UCI administration: to silence students who oppose the privatization of public education.  According to the UC Irvine administration, students do not have the right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble. 
 A further disregard of the student body is the administration’s use of theStudent Conduct Policy 102.08 Physical