Category: Musings on Human Rights with Katie Mendez

It was only a little over a year ago that the rape conviction of former football player Sam Ukwuachu sparked what is now a nationally known rape scandal at Baylor University.

On August 21st, Ukwuachu was sentenced to six months in county jail and ten years’ probation for raping a fellow Baylor student-athlete. While some articles state that former football Coach Art Briles was not made aware of Ukwuachu’s troubling and violent past, other articles report that a former Boise State coach explained that Briles had been made clear about his past. Yet, even if we do not take into account that Briles may have been notified about Ukwuachu’s past, it seems that Baylor faculty and administration members may have been aware of the possible indictment, as they had taken him off the field on 2014, the year the rape took place.

Questions about whether or not Baylor has knowingly harbored rapists, intimidated their victims, and failed to provide the necessary Title IX protections brought about a significant number of investigations and cases against the Baylor Title IX office, athletics department, faculty, student policies, and Christian beliefs.

Among those questions posed, the ones that have received little attention are how the student policies and Christian beliefs espoused by Baylor have fed the crisis that has taken place. While the media has focused more on the laws broken, the Title IX office, and the backlash against victims by faculty, other students have been discussing how the student policies, culture, and Christian climate at Baylor have led to the high number of sexual assaults on campus.

It seems most students are aware that as part of its student policies, Baylor expects all students to wait until marriage for “physical sexual intimacy.” Those who do not know this is part of the student policies have most likely heard about it, but thought it was the campus joke told to freshmen. In addition to that policy, Baylor’s strict alcohol policies have created a culture of silence when it comes to issues related to a sexual relationship or alcohol abuse. This culture of silence has contributed to an environment safe for the rapists and hostile to survivors of sexual assault.

Women who have been assaulted after a night of heavy drinking are afraid to report their case for fear of judgment, lack of compassion and helpful services, and fear of possible punishment. Freshmen are less likely to report a case of sexual assault after a night of drinking because they are underage and live on campus, which means that any trace of alcohol on their person and/or in their system is punishable by fine up to expulsion. Baylor’s strict alcohol policies also result in this scenario: a freshman student gets drunk at a party, and, out of fear of being punished, decides to spend the night at another person’s house. This, while any crime committed against her would not be her fault, puts the student at greater risk to be assaulted. Yet, if she is assaulted, the Baylor community is likely to ask why she thought it would be safe or “lady-like” of her to spend the night at a stranger’s house rather than to go back to her dorm, without taking into account how its policies contributed to such a decision.

Another scenario is important to consider: two students have been dating each other for a while and have a sexual relationship. One day, one partner assaults the other. Because Baylor has a student policy against pre-marital sex, the survivor is less likely to report the assault due to a belief that his or her claims will not be taken seriously.

If we sat down and had a frank and open conversation with many female and male students at Baylor, we would find that Baylor’s policies have contributed to the silencing of survivors directly or indirectly.

Instead of running away from the accusations, we should take the time to reflect on how our culture and long-standing policies have contributed to the rampant sexual violence seen at Baylor University. Baylor had, and still has, a lot of work to do with its Title IX office, Counseling Center, Athletics Department, and other offices within the university that contributed to a hostile environment for survivors. But that is not all Baylor has to work on. Baylor must also consider how its policies regarding sex and alcohol and heteronormativity have contributed to the problems we see today.

Katie Mendez is a junior majoring in international studies. 

On January 21st, women from across the nation took to the streets to make a statement: they are not going to let this election and political administration take away their rights.

Women of all races, ethnicities, economic backgrounds, and from all areas of the country united to make a visual statement: women were not backing down in the face of opposition.

While many women and men who attended the marches have stated they had never witnessed so much unity, there were other groups of women within the feminist community who did not feel so welcome. Indeed, the Women’s March was the most peaceful and clean feminist march that has taken place in decades. Many women of color held up signs with snippets of their stories, making a direct appeal to President Trump’s racial, ethical, and religious incendiary messages. Yet despite the fact that many marginalized groups were welcomed into the conversation in many areas, we must allow room for the criticism and input of those who did not experience the same level of peace and unity many other women experienced.

Experiences of women of color

One Native American women created a thread on Twitter in which she detailed her experience at the Women’s March. She details the horrifying details of white women walking through their prayer group, taking pictures of them without their consent, and asking if “they” still existed.

Many black women held up signs asking women if they would be as vocal in protests against police brutality and racism. Other women pointed out that more white women voted for Trump than any other racial group.

Other minority groups speak out

Pro-life women also reported feeling left out of the conversation because of the proportion of pro-choice women over pro-life women in attendance. Differences in the ideological beliefs between these two groups sparked debate among some women, including many conversations within my group of peers.

Immigrant women also felt the need to speak out against another issue that suppresses them so much more than white women, that immigrant women and white women do not have equal initial status.

Women with physical and mental illnesses were also not given a wide stage on which they could present their personal struggles. Among many of the criticisms and pushback I have encountered is the fact that white women seemed to be enraged more over President Trump’s comment about sexually assaulting women than the incidence, his actions, or the results of his to-be-enacted policies.

Although the women’s march will always remain a bright spot in the historical timeline of Donald Trump’s presidency, we must admit that if we want to ensure equality for all women everywhere, we have to expand the conversation to other issues that may not seem to be feminist on the surface level.

Katie Méndez is junior majoring in international studies.