Holtzclaw: Revisited

            On February 9^th, 2016 an article came out on KFor.com regarding the Daniel Holtzclaw sexual assault case. As a background, 13 women testified against former Oklahoma City police officer, Daniel Holtzclaw, for cases of sexual assault, battery, and rape. In addition to these 13 public accusers were many other women who spoke to Detective Rocky Gregory who is currently dealing with the case. Recently the 14^th accuser, Shaneice Barksdale, came out saying that she made up her story because she “felt bad” for the first woman to come out, Jannie Ligons.

            I encountered this article because my group had been researching the case for our News Analysis project. While trying to find some extra information on sentencing for the paper portion of the assignment, this article came up and immediately caught my attention. One thing that made this particularly interesting to me was the irony of it all. Holtzclaw had been selecting his victims based on who would be “believable” if they made allegations against him. Thus, he chose women who were prostitutes, felons, and adolescents because these women’s words would not likely be stronger than his if they spoke out against him. Barksdale, unfortunately, perpetuated the ideals behind Holtzclaw’s strategy right -- it perpetuated the idea that women of these classifications cannot be trusted.

 As stated in the article, Barksdale’s false account does take time away from the more important aspects of the investigation, but it also trivializes the case and perpetuates the rape myth that women cry rape for revenge. In saying that Barksdale made up the story because she “felt bad”, it implies that she cried rape in attempt to get Holtzclaw in trouble for what he allegedly did to Ligons. The problem with this, is that it creates suspicion against the other victims who testified against Holtzclaw – if one girl made it all up, who’s to say that the others didn’t do that same thing?

            Fortunately in this case, Holtzclaw had already been sentenced to 263 years in prison by the 13 women who testified against him, and had not been charged for any of the claims made by Barksdale. These charges would have included sexual battery and second degree rape. Since her accounts were not used in court, Holtzclaw will still be imprisoned for the real cases of sexual assault. So, although I find it extremely unfortunate that Barksdale has diminished some of the credibility for women making claims of rape in the future, I think it is good that Holtzclaw’s charges remain and he will still suffer the consequences for his actions.

The article can be found here.

The image can be found here.

Peyton Manning Cited in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

I discovered this article browsing my Facebook newsfeed and I have always been a fan of Peyton Manning so the header caught my attention. An article in ABC News discussed how Manning was cited in a lawsuit field last Tuesday by six women alleging the University of Tennessee violated title IX by acting with “deliberate indifference in its response to incidents of sexual assault.” The incident that Manning was involved with was the lawsuit that involves trainer Jamie Naughright who reported Manning (a Tennessee student at the time) to a sexual assault crisis center in 1996 for allegedly placing his bare bottom and genitalia on her while she examined his foot. Manning denied these allegations and Naughright eventually settled with the university and left her job. In 2000, when Manning’s book came out, Naughright filed a defamation suit against him saying the book casts her in a negative light and Manning’s characterizations were false and caused her to lose her job at Florida Southern College.

The entire article focused mainly on Manning’s legacy and his “squeaky clean image” casting him in the virgin light. Naughright was never mentioned as a vamp specifically but the article does indeed allude to her falsely accusing Manning of sexual assault. Manning describes the incident in his book as a “crude but harmless locker-room exchange” in which Naughright caught him ‘mooning’ a fellow athlete. There is a lightness to the article that I think makes the incident seem less serious than it typically would be handled if it didn’t include Manning and his fame status.

            I am curious to see how these allegations would have been handled in the media if the perpetrator weren’t in a football legend. Also, should there have been any mention of how Naughright did not receive justice for the alleged assault on her? Or is it just assumed that she was falsely accusing Manning because his talent on the football field?

NFL bans players with domestic violence, sexual assault convictions from scouting combine

Last week, the executive vice president of football operations of the NFL released a statement that the National Football League would no longer allow players with convictions for domestic violence, sexual assault or weapons offenses to participate and attend the annual scouting skills combine.

The combine is the primary opportunity for post-college athletes looking to play at the next level to showcase their abilities on the football field.  Further statements indicated that all invitees would have to submit a background check and that any misdemeanor or felony would bar said athlete from any league-related events, including the glamorized and highly-touted NFL Draft.

This new rule has been established due to the continuous problems the NFL has been dealing with with its players engaging in unruly behavior, especially cases of domestic violence and sexual assault (Ray Rice and 43 other NFL players in the last few years).  It is interesting and troubling to note that the case of Jameis Winston (one that we will be covering in class soon) would still have been able to participate in the combine because he was never officially convicted, despite allegations and a civil suit at Florida State University.  However, Frank Clark, a player familiar to us because Michigan is his alma mater, would have been barred because of his conviction of domestic violence last year.  It is encouraging that our university was responsible in charging Frank Clark despite his fame and status as a high-profile athlete.

I am curious what people in class think about this new rule the NFL put in place.  Is the National Football League seriously concerned and worried for the lives of players' partners, girlfriends, or wives?  Or, is it simply damage control because of the increasing tainted reputation associated with the League?

To read more, here is the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/02/08/nfl-scouting-combine-bans-players-domestic-violence-sexual-assault-weapons-convictions/80040774/

Gwyneth Paltrow faces her longtime stalker in court

I learned of this story from my Facebook news feature, but soon realized it's has been continually going on for 17 years. Essentially, Gwyneth Paltrow recently testified again against a man who has been stalking and threatening her for almost two decades. As I read different articles, I was interested in the story itself and in how it would be portrayed by journalists.

The first article I read (from Refinery29) discussed Paltrow as a mother, which I thought was an interesting twist on the virgin/vamp idea. If she's a mother specifically, rather than a woman in general, does that make the stalking less socially acceptable or seem like more of a crime? The second article, from Wetpaint, describes her as "the 43-year-old actress" and also discusses the lengths she's taken to ensure safety for herself and her children. I think the choice to add this shows Paltrow as being more sympathetic and the stalker as more threatening. Portraying Paltrow as an "older" actress and a mother works as a sort of "virgin" frame in these stories, emphasizing her innocence and making the readers sympathetic to her case.

Another thing that I noticed immediately is the description of the perpetrator, Dante Soiu, as "psychologically unstable." While this can be viewed as a rape myth, his mental illness is actually a big part of the story - he apparently threatened her in various ways and sent her 66 letters, including pornographic material and flowers. In this case, calling the perpetrator insane isn't just a tactic to make him seem more dangerous - he really is dangerous and mentally unstable. However, I also think that's one of the reasons this case is being reported on - because it is such a classic case of stalking and gendered violence.


I'm not sure how to feel about this coverage. Is the stereotypical victim/perpetrator frame necessary for this case, or are there other, more helpful, ways to cover it? Or is its stereotypical nature the reason it's being covered at all?

Refinery29 Article

Wetpaint Article

Online Sexual Harassment

Cyberbullying and harassment has consistently been in the news in the last decade with the rise of social media and its effects on how individuals interact. Usually, we associate this kind of behavior with revenge porn or teenage drama on Facebook - meaning, very deliberate, calculated, and knowing acts of harassment. However, a Buzzfeed article recently focused on models Emily Sears and her friend Laura, both of whom have prominent Instagram followings. The women interviewed stated that on average, they receive a minimum of one to two unsolicited "dick pics" per day, frequently with graphic captions referencing sex. Initially, the women reported that when they would respond negatively to the photos, many men would respond back that they sent the photos because they "liked [the girl] a lot." Occasionally, however, Emily and Laura's responses were met "with a string of sexual slurs and abuse, and [they] kept calling me a slut."

Both women have since began publicly adopting strategies to combat the regular influx of unwanted pornography on their Instagram accounts: when they receive a message from a man, they scroll his profile, find a wife, girlfriend or family member, and attempt to contact them with a screenshot of the messages they have received. 



Since they have began publicizing their efforts to shame men for #1 their online sexual harassment of strangers and #2 their mistreatment of significant others and family members, both women have reported the number of pictures they receive daily has started to decrease.

However, this is undoubtedly an issue that moves far beyond models on Instagram. First and foremost, the idea that a nude picture is #1 the way to lead off a conversation and #2 an expression of how much you like a person, is disconcerting. Secondly, the fact that many men's responses to a negative reaction was effectively using sexually abusive slurs is equally as alarming. This is cut and dry, online sexual harassment. Evidently, on a fundamental societal level, there is a clear disconnect (at least with some men) on what women like and what is considered acceptable on in terms of how women should be treated.

If you care to read more, here is the full article below:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/a-model-is-alerting-girlfriends-of-the-men-who-send-her-dick#.gfwwzwOqQ

Netflix Lands Rights to Teen Sexual Assault Documentary

After making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary "Audrie and Daisy" was picked up by Netflix. "Audrie and Daisy" unfolds the stories of two teenage girls, living on different sides of the country, who were sexually assaulted in a similar way and were then harassed online, which drew them both to attempt suicide. The film is a critique of the of the legal system and sends the message that it fails to extend enough rights to abuse victims. What's interesting to me about this film is that it includes the teenagers and their families, and the boys involved in the assaults. This film documents the bravery of victims to speak out publicly for the first time. Though these cases were high-profile, none of the men involved in the assaults faced any serious consequences, while the girls were and forced out of town driven to attempt suicide, with one succeeding.



After coming across this article and reading the plot, I immediately became furious. How is it that these situations happen so often? Why is the legal system so lackadaisical on sentencing these rapists with real punishment, no matter their age or status? Even more so, I question why anyone would turn to harassing or bullying any victim of rape. It shocks me that it's so often the victim that gets so much backlash for bravely speaking out and trying to attain justice. The fact that both of the victims at the center of this documentary were driving to the point of killing themselves is absolutely horrifying, especially due to their young age. My hope is that this film will shed light on victims of rape and the toll a crime like that takes on someone, as well as how more often than not, the legal system fails to bring justice to these victims.

Link to the article:
http://variety.com/2016/film/markets-festivals/audrie-daisy-netflix-sundance-1201690436/

Pro-Rape Group Will Have Meetings Worldwide on Saturday February 6

I came across this article because my friend had forwarded me an email that came from East Quad's DPS to alert students of events that will be happening on our campus. I decided to blog about this particular article to alert anyone who has not heard about it because it is a matter of safety and because I wanted to touch on what the availability of the internet and free speech can allow others to do.

There will be a meeting on Saturday February 6 at 8PM in Nickels Arcade at the entrance closest to State street of men who believe that rape should be legalized if it occurs on private property. These men believe in gender-based oppression, homophobia, and racism and the leader and coordinator, Daryush Valizadeh (pictured below), wanted to set up an "international meeting" so that all of his followers and believers do not have to hide behind their computer screens, but form real "friendships" instead. He is promising 165 meetings in 43 different countries to commence this Saturday.

I felt huge waves of disgust as I read this article because the things that this man and this group is advocating is exactly what we are trying to eradicate and make right. In today's era, anyone can be the "media." Media news does not have to come from traditional newspapers or companies anymore, but it can come from anyone's computer on a blog post, tweet, Instagram, or opinion column. The advances in technology and the internet have allowed great things to happen, such as the fundraising website GoFundMe, which allows people to collect money from anyone who wants to donate to the particular cause. But, it is things like this in which I believe the Internet is hindering our advancing in society.

With the topic and issue of sexual misconduct on college campuses becoming exponentially more of an issue, it is heartbreaking to hear of something taking place such as this meeting. The article details that many other countries such as the U.K, Australia, and Canada have already condemned the blogger and have created petitions that have gained over 50,000 signatures to revoke Valizadeh's travel rights. There was no mention of the United States taking any action, or maybe I have just not come across any information, but it just shows how far behind we are in this issue. From articles that we have read in class, this kind of stuff happens because of the society we live in. I can only hope that something of this nature will make people realize that this is in no way okay and that sexual misconduct and issues of rape is a very real problem that needs to be tackled.

List of Meeting locations