A Tulane University police officer was let go after a student reported he made unwanted sexual advances toward him and may have even used a taser to incapacitate and rape him.
The student, identified as John, was heading back to his dorm after drinking at a party when the office approached him. The officer escorted the student to his room and officer pushed his way inside. Before the student could call for help, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and blacked out. He woke up the next morning without clothes on and had two deep holes in his neck, similar to those left by a taser, according to The Hullabaloo.
The victim contacted an advocate separate from the University to help him file a report with the TUPD and the New Orleans Police Department. An administrative third party and the University held a meeting and let the officer go before any charges could be filed.
The University went through their process of damage control by placing the officer on administrative leave pending investigation. Administrators then fired him without releasing information about the allegations against him.
The information the university is keeping hidden implies that the officer could go on to find a job at another university and this sort of incident could happen again. Those accused need to be investigated and held accountable for their actions, not just "let go."
Students at the University have expressed support for the officer who was dismissed, basing their opinions on what little information was available. Dan Nichols, a junior, thought the officer was great at his job and it was unfair he was let go because of "improper radio protocol," according to Tulane's newspaper The Hullabaloo. Students at the University have no idea what really happened because the University and the police department have refused to answer questions.
The University owes it to their students to properly inform them about what happens on campus. By keeping the student body in the dark about the assault, students can't find out what to do if something similar happens to them or someone they know.
Even though the officer is no longer at the school, the student should still press charges to reach his own personal settlement. Universities nowadays are focused on their image, so if they can't be counted on to take action, it's up to the student.
The tremendous religious diversity among this year's presidential candidates is making it difficult for members of the religious right to unite. Of the near 6,000 votes cast in the Values Voter Summit, an online straw poll, no single candidate received a significant majority of the votes.
John McCain, in an interview with BeliefNet, a Christian Web site, said that America is a Christian nation. Does that mean there can never be a Jewish president, or a Muslim president?
Romney's Mormonism seems to be the main reason voters have trouble supporting him. As a devout Mormon, Romney has been denounced as a "cult leader" by the head of the Baptist church in Dallas, Pastor Robert Jeffress, according to the My Fox Fortworth Web site.
Voters should be focused on the fact that Romney was once governor of Massachusetts, a state with liberal stances on gay rights issues and abortion; now Romney is against abortion, whether its through his own personal choice or a political agenda to increase his appeal to voters.
Appearance is a part of politics, and these career politicians are not above promoting their religion to appeal to more voters. At the Values Voter Summit straw poll, Guiliani received a standing ovation for his speech about how important God is to him, but he failed to mention that he no longer attends church regularly, according to The New York Times.
Instead of focusing on religion, voters should be paying attention to candidate's political records. Where a candidate spends a Sunday morning should not be the only reason for voting for them. Americans aren't voting for the patriarchs in the Bible, but rather how they think a candidate will run our country. Personal beliefs don't translate directly into being a great leader - George Bush may be religious, but his 24 percent approval rating shows those who believed in him have lost faith.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
