Hi, lawyer-in-training here. (I graduate this month.) I'll try to explain why it is absolutely vital that schools be able to investigate and prosecute rape cases according to their student codes of conduct. There is also an op-ed in USA Today that tackles this:http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/…

Have you seen the blog "Raising My Rainbow" or read the book by Lori Duron? This is exactly the kind of bullshit she had to put up with when her gender creative son CJ began wearing girls' clothes and wanted to be treated like a girl. It breaks my heart that people can be so ignorant and narrow-minded. It's really…

Drug crimes and violent crimes are not analogous. Almost everyone within the legal community (I'm a lawyer-in-training) agrees mandatory minimums generally, and specifically with regards to drug laws, are terrible, racist, and don't help. However, this is not true with regards to rape. Unlike drug crimes, property…

I don't disagree with this generally, but with one HUGE exception: Rape cases.

THANK YOU so much for doing the legwork and reporting on this. This is an incredibly important story and it needs to get as much visibility as possible. I'm a current law student and as I type this I'm writing a paper on the connection between rape culture and sentencings/convictions. It's absolutely disgusting and…

A lot of women say "yes" mid-rape just to make it more bearable, or say "yes" when it becomes clear that their consent doesn't actually matter to their assailant— that they will be raped regardless. Their "consent" is not voluntary— if they are already being raped/assaulted, they do what they need to do in order to…

If you wouldn't call it consensual, then it is rape. That is the *definition* of rape.

The duty is a standard duty of care owed by schools to its pupils, employers to its employees, businesses to patrons, etc. Students are engaged in a contractual relationship with the school (they are paying tuition in exchange for an education). It's not that a school has to guarantee a pristine environment, it's that…

Again, I disagree that being put on a list is a serious consequence. It's clearly not hurting any of their careers or educational prospects. People just don't take these accusations seriously because of rape culture; the attitude is always in favor of the male, not the female accuser.

The myth of false reports is that they are rampant and common-place, not that they don't happen, which is why I immediately wrote that "It bears repeating that there is no difference in the rate of false reports of rape than of other violent crimes." That explicitly acknowledges that they do happen, but they're very…

I'm glad I was able to help!

I don't think following the law and doing what's right are mutually exclusive here. The failures are of the school doing either.

It's rare for student accused of rape to face any consequences, much less expulsion. The expulsion can't be used to prove a criminal complaint against him; as I mentioned, the evidentiary standards are different (this is why O.J. Simpson could be found "not guilty" in a criminal trial and "guilty" in a civil trial for…

Hi, lawyer-in-training here. I'll try to answer your questions.

"Among witnesses testifying at Basso's punishment trial was her daughter, who told of emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother."

This reminds me of a time when one of my (white, male, straight, Christian) law school classmates called me a sexist on FB in response to me pointing out some sexist bigotry. I have screen caps— it's stored in a folder on my computer called, "Sexual Harassment at [Big Catholic University Infamous for Rape, Sexual…

I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to share your perspective as a French woman. I'm an American woman who has spent time living in both Ireland and the UK, and I think you're correct about religion/puritan ideologies influencing the way women's rights are conceptualized here. I'm an atheist and a…

I think you're missing my point. I'm genuinely curious— if he had used a racial slur instead of a sexist one, would your reaction be the same? I think, as a society, we're far too tolerant of misogynistic, homophobic, and ableist insults ("bitch," "faggot," "retard"). Why is it okay to perpetuate one form of hate…

I'm sorry, but using "the b-word" to disparage women in your life is never justified. One form of prejudice (homophobia) doesn't make it okay to engage in another (sexism). Otherwise laudable sentiments, minus the misogyny. There is no doubt that homophobia is a terrible thing, and any parent who rejects his or her…

Me too! So, so glad. My chapter was really diverse (although mostly in terms of lots of Latina women in addition to White women, with a few African American girls). We're a major sorority too— as big as Tri Delt— so I'm so relieved that we weren't listed.