Florida State University Rape Case Settlement

Today I came across a news article discussing the Florida State University rape case involving Jameis Winston. Yesterday, Florida State came to a settlement with the former student who reported that she was raped by quarterback Winston back in 2012. Winston claimed that the sex was consensual. He then went on to win the Heisman Trophy, lead FSU to a national championship, and play in the NFL. The former student sued Winston personally, as well as Florida State, for not investigating the situation to the best of their abilities. While the case against Winston is still pending, the school has agreed to pay the victim $950,000, as well as implement five years of sexual assault awareness programs at the university. 

Within the article, the headline states, "Florida State reaches settlement with Jameis Winston's accuser." As we have seen within our current readings, utilizing words such as, "accuser" blames the victim of accusing his/her perpetrator and makes her/him appear at fault for something. Right away, victim blaming occurs with the journalist's choice of language in the headline.

Also within the article, Florida State president John Thrasher stated that, "the reason for the settlement is to avoid continuing litigation expenses" (Shanker, Jared). Personally, I feel as though his response could not put it into more simple terms; the university is basically paying her off because they do not want the expenses of legal bills anymore. While the sexual awareness programs implemented by the school are an important gesture, I feel as though no sum of money could make up for the damage that the victim experienced regarding her personal life, as well as in her academic career, "She left the university after the allegation became public in November 2013." The victim states, "I will always be disappointed that I had to leave the school I dreamed of attending since I was little" (Shanker).

Aside from the article, within the documentary called, The Hunting Ground, the victim speaks out about her experience and the impact that the assault had on her life. The film discusses the fact that Winston was such a valuable player for the school and brought so much victory for their team. As a result, the victim received death threats from her peers because she was interfering with Winston's success. 

Personally, I feel that this story exemplifies how powerful systems within our societal structures defy victims of sexual assault the justice that they deserve. Florida State, a powerful university, choose to settle this rape case with money in order to protect the school's reputation, as well as the image of one of their most successful football players. Money will never solve the complex problems behind rape culture that exists so predominantly on college campuses. 

Below is a photo of Jameis Winston: 







Photo: https://www.google.com/search?q=jameis+winston+with+trophy&biw=1085&bih=594&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3rcfqlsjKAhVBFiwKHdD9CR0Q_AUIBigB#imgrc=r_5QRrkP8Ze2IM%3A

Article:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14644864/florida-state-settling-lawsuit-jameis-winston-accuser

Dick, Kirby. The Hunting Ground. Weinstein Company, 2015.