Last week, University of Oklahoma students protesting what they believe to be school president David Borens perpetuation of rape culture called on him to resign if he couldnt fulfill their list of demands.
The students held a protest last week following comments Boren made in an Oct. 3 Oklahoma Daily story about a campus report showing 19 percent of surveyed students said they had been sexually assaulted at OU.
Boren responded with statements many students believe perpetuated victim blaming and rape culture.
We try to really train students about (sexual violence), and you try to also say, Dont get yourself in a situation where youre incapable of saying no, OU Daily quoted Boren from the Oct. 3 article. Can we eradicate the problem? Not any more than we can eradicate human nature.
During the Oct. 11 protest, students demanded a sincere and public apology regarding both his comments in the OU Daily and the universitys poor handling of sexual violence on campus.
Further, Borens apology must include the phrases I believe you, Its not your fault and I am sorry.
Demands also included instituting sexual violence education programs, among other things.
Its telling that these things must still be demanded at all, from anyone, ever.
Boren missed the protest (and apologized for that) because he was out of town supporting State Question 779, but he met with students for more than two hours Oct. 12, OU Daily reported.
While student press wasnt allowed in that meeting, according to OU Daily, Boren told the paper afterward, I appreciate the concern of our students about what I view as one of the most serious problems we have in America, and thats sexual violence on campuses across the country, including, regrettably ... on our own campus.
Print headline: Student protests