Drag Ball Sex Assault

Obie Abroad Ashamed of Administration
April 27 Letter

To the Editor:

Abroad for the semester, I am appalled by the recent incidents that I have read about in the Oberlin Review. More so, I am furious that the College administration is seriously lacking in dealing with these issues. As mentioned in a previous Perspectives letter, the College has failed to communicate with the student body about the Barnard attack since its first appearance in the Review. This incident is upsetting, intimidating and makes me uncomfortable about the Oberlin College community. I would hate to think that the College feels comfortable with its own students acting in this violent manner towards ANYONE, never mind a fellow student! This incident is embarrassing, and it taints the comfortable atmosphere of the College community. It is disturbing that the College hasn’t expressed its disapproval of this type of behavior from its students.
Secondly, the way in which the College administration addressed the rape incident during Drag Ball is disgusting. I am horrified that the College made such a point to remind us that “this situation does not involve any students” when one of our OWN security officers was the accused attacker! How could one possibly state that “Our first thought was to be absolutely certain that students were not at risk and we have every confidence that there is no risk to students stemming from this incident” when the accused attacker is supposed to be ensuring our safety on campus? Regardless of whether or not the victim was a student, it happened in the parking lot of Wilder, before 11 p.m., the night of the biggest event of the year. How can it be said that “Safety and Security was in full force. They did an outstanding job in ensuring the safety of the event,” when this incident took place right outside of the building where this event was taking place?

The way in which these incidents are being dealt with just adds to my qualms with Safety and Security and the College administration. Let us remember how often someone needs a ride from the Security Shuttle at night, and Security fails to provide the ride because there is no driver on duty? Or the student is offered a walking escort instead? Although this service is a positive option in theory, my friends and I usually opt to walk home alone rather than walk with a Security guard. It irks me that after a violent incident takes place on campus, there suddenly are more Security drivers available, and students are able to get rides as needed. After a few weeks, though, when they decide that we’ve forgotten about the incident, Security rides are more difficult to come by, as usual.
As an Oberlin student abroad, I am unhappy to come back to campus in its current state. I am concerned about the town’s feelings about these incidents as well. How can town residents feel content with the presence of the College if the College looks the other way when its own community members act in this manner? Students of the College community, we deserve better than this.

–Jessica Raynor
College junior
Florence, Italy


Admin. Rape Response Awful
May 4 Letter

To the Editor:

As members of the Sexual Assault Support Team we are writing to register our concern about the rape that occurred after Drag Ball and the subsequent articles responding to it. Our views may not reflect the view of the entire organization, and we do not claim to speak for SAST.
First of all, we would like to say that just because this rape was perpetrated against a non-student does not mean that it was okay or does not need to be taken very seriously. In both articles [President] Nancy Dye and [Dean of Students] Peter Goldsmith imply that we shouldn’t be too concerned with this rape because it did not happen to a student. We always need to be concerned about rape and it is frustrating at best that not one person has expressed outrage at this rape –– we’re all just so relieved it didn’t happen to us. Except that there probably were many more sexual assaults that night committed by acquaintances or dates in rooms that were not reported because of the disbelief and lack of support the survivors were sure to get from this campus.
Additionally, the racist and classist implications of the most recent article were really outstanding. At least two staff members said that if there weren’t so many outsiders (read town members, read working class and poor and people of color) then we would be fine. How naïve. How fucked up. As a Peacekeeper that night I would like to relate a little story. Throughout the course of the night me and my peacekeeping partner were harassed (both physically and verbally) a total of about 20 times from at least that many people. I would say that some of the people doing the harassing were not students that I recognized, but the majority were people I know are students. Interestingly enough, the ONLY people who were stopped by onlookers or security were people who were not students. So rest assured, Oberlin, even if you place a racist and classist ban on “outsiders,” there will still be assaults and harassment and perpetrators will still not be held accountable.
Additionally, I think it’s very interesting that the ONLY crimes that ever get an “alleged” put before them are rapes. Way to go in not believing survivors. There aren’t “alleged” bikes stolen or “alleged” men selling magazines. We believe people when they say that anything else has been stolen. But we do not believe people when they say that their bodies and their safety have been stolen. Thanks for contributing to rape culture.

–Brianna Cayo-Cotter
College sophomore
Co-chair, SAST

–Ananda Timpane
College junior


Drag Ball May Have Run its Course
April 27 Editorial

Drag Ball is nearly two weeks past, and although that makes its discussion perhaps a bit untimely, it also has left time for contemplation. That contemplation has resulted in a single basic thought: maybe it’s time for Drag Ball to end.
It is hard to make this admission as an Oberlin student. Drag Ball is the biggest party we have here, easily the largest assemblage of students in a single place outside of graduation. It’s crazy, cathartic and usually a lot of fun. This year’s Drag Ball, however, left a bit of an odd taste in the mouth.
The alleged rape outside Drag Ball would be disturbing enough, even without the added facts that a) it was a security officer who perpetrated the crime and b) the administration responded not with shock and horror, or even an announcement that the incident occurred, but with the response that Security “did an outstanding job,” according to Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith and a reassurance that the incident “does not involve any students.” Senior SAST Co-Chair Rachel Barrett’s comment in the April 20 Review that, “It’s important to remember that for every person who will go to the police, there are dozens who would never tell anyone,” is hardly reassuring. 
And that’s just for starters. The atmosphere inside Drag Ball itself, while certainly exciting, had a thicker than usual coating of sleaze this year. In addition to the incessant groping (consensual and not), there were numerous acts of sexual congress in fully open, unobstructed public space. In addition to being illegal and highly unsanitary, this is just disgusting. Please people, get a room. It’s fine to be open and expressive of your sexuality, but show-and-tell in a public forum is a little much, especially when the rest of the people in that public space paid to have a party, not to see a live sex show.
Drag Ball started out as an expression of queer culture and an opportunity for education; it has long since ceased to be anything but a big crazy party. And perhaps it’s perfectly fine for the biggest, craziest Oberlin party to be one that also stresses the free expression of sexuality. But when you add to “big” and “crazy” the descriptors “unsafe,” “unsanitary” and “disgusting,” it would be hard to make a case for the continuation of Drag Ball.


College Position Tantamount to Endorsing Rape
May 4 Letter

To the Editor:

I would like to add my name to the list of students disgusted and ashamed at the College’s response to the rape that took place on our campus the night of Drag Ball. The Review quoted Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith and assistant director of the Student Union Chris Baymiller as stating that security was successful the night of Drag Ball. How can security be successful when a campus security guard is suspected of committing a rape just outside Drag Ball?
The College insinuated two reasons for its disinterest in a rape on our campus by one of its employees. The first reason given was that the victim was not a student. By this, it seems that the College does not take the safety into consideration of non-students on its campus.
The second reason was that the victim was drunk. Baymiller stated that claims he thinks the victim was a drunk townie who was refused entrance to the Ball. Not only should Baymiller be ashamed of his comments, but the Review as well for printing them as relevant information.
What should be of interest to us is not who the victim is or what she was doing. No matter what she was wearing, who she is, where she was, and what she was doing, no one had the right to rape her. Our focus should be on the rapist, someone the College employed to ensure our safety. The College only fired this man days after the attack because he “failed to cooperate.” Our focus should be on the College, who blatantly disregards rape on this campus. In last week’s Review, Nancy Dye claimed that there is no one is at risk in the wake of the attack. Why hasn’t this attack sparked a review of the other security officers or of the College’s safety policies? If a security guard can rape a non-student then he can rape a student. If a woman can be raped outside a crowded building in the center of this campus, then where are we safe? From Dye’s previous actions, we know that she is only interested in how the College looks and not in what happens to numerous one this campus who are sexually victimized.
By making comments which push the blame from the perpetrator and the College, the blame lies with the victim. The response of the College can only be described as pro-rape.
Our focus should be on ourselves, and how we silently allow these things to continue. I personally will be graduating soon, and so my options to take action are limited. In protest to the way that this matter was handled, I refuse to offer any financial support as an alum to this college until such time as the College can prove that it takes rape seriously. I also intend to share this letter with other alumni that I have contact with. I encourage my fellow graduates to do the same. To my fellow students who will remain at Oberlin College, I encourage you to find ways to not let the College forget that a woman was raped here and that we will not stand for their self-interested, pro-rape response.

–Debra Guckenheimer 
College senior

Dye Responds to Sexual Assault
May 11 Letter

To the Editor:

I would like to correct several errors and misperceptions that have appeared in the Oberlin Review about the alleged rape that was reported on the evening of Drag Ball. 
The victim in this case reported a rape to the Oberlin city police, and she identified her assailant by name. The police transported the victim to the Sexual Assault Care Center at the Nord Mental Health Center, where she was seen by a nurse and victim advocate, and then transported home. Later, she returned to the police department to sign a formal complaint.
The city police immediately notified the College’s director of security that the suspect was a College security officer. This officer was relieved of his duties immediately. After an internal investigation, the director of Security terminated the officer in question, and also issued a “no trespass” order which bars him permanently from this campus. 
Our Security department considered sending out an all-campus security alert, but decided that this was not necessary, given the fact that the identity of the suspect was known, the College had terminated his employment and banned him from campus, and that the matter had been immediately reported to the police.
Oberlin College has a strong sexual offense policy that governs all students and everyone who works on the campus. The fact that the victim was not a student in no way lessened the College’s obligation to respond promptly and appropriately to this incident.

–Nancy Dye
College President