How Harshly Should Southern Oregon University Punish Its Anti-Gay Graffiti Students?
Southern Orgeon University students Blake Adkins and Kevin Novotny wrote anti-gay slurs on a mixed-gender dormitory floor because only homos would wanna live with girls. They’ve since apologized, admitted stupidity, written I’m Sorry notes to everyone on the floor, will pay damages, and perform community service at the local LGBT center, but they still face disciplinary action from their school. SOU could use this as a “learning moment” about tolerance and free speech, but maybe they should just make an example of Adkins and Novotny, especially since their action continues a disturbing trend of anti-gay graffiti at American schools.
Keep in mind that these young vandals weren’t just pulling a drunken prank that went too far: they targeted a newly opened mixed-gender floor, mentioned specific students in their graffiti, and committed their act amid a wave of anti-gay graffiti at other colleges such as Sage College, Georgetown, Middlebury, UC Davis (pictured below), and the University of Oregon in Eugene.
There’s that cliche, “There’s a time and place for everything and it’s college.” A lot of people admittedly do stupid, even criminal things as students. Adkins and Novotny are currently under investigation for second-degree mischief and intimidation and while there’s no doubt that these assclowns would have stayed quiet if they’d never been caught, maybe the school should accept their seemingly-sincere apology, slap them on the wrists and let them learn their lesson.
On the other hand, had the students vandalized an LGBT community center in the real world, there would be press releases, official statements, angry letters, and perhaps even community vigils against the vandals and the homophobia they represent—they could cost a community thousands of dollars, man-hours and intimidate untold hundreds of LGBT people with their idiotic scrawl.
So SOU could send a strong message against intolerance by expelling of Adkins and Novotny, but a key part of college is socialization; y’know, teaching boys and girls as well as would-be homophobes and decent human beings how to live together. Showing the vandals some grace while ensuring the completion of their service could show them just how gracious and forgiving our community can be. Otherwise, the school might give them another reason to hate, since they got kicked out of college just for calling someone a fag.
@christopher di spirito: Are you trying to spark a rash of anti-gay vandalism?!
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I think the punishment fits the crime, maybe the school could have them do community service at a GBLT center every year for their tenure at the university. I am not the students that were slandered, so they have to decide if their satisfied. If not they can pursue other avenues outside of the school like a civil suit.
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I agree with Lamar, it would be nice if there was something that would benefit the actual victims. I also think community service MUST be performed at the LGBT center AND I think they should be forced to answer questions from the audience in an open forum at the school, onstage once or twice.
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I think Mike (post #1) got it right. They’ve been sanctioned, put on notice that their behavior will not be tolerated, and will hopefully learn something. This zero-tolerance nonsense goes too far at times. We can’t say “1 strike and you’re out”, that’s simply ludicrous.
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I have ZERO sympathy for these thugs, I’ve had my home spray painted with HATE sh*t both gay, and AIDS phobic. This happened in a small town, and not one G*D DAMN neighbor who knew me for 5 years said a word.
This isn’t just the property vandalized, it’s an act meant to cause fear in our entire community, no less than a burning cross.
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@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: Kick ‘em out. It’ll send a message that bigots aren’t tolerated at SOU. And, hey, it’s not like it’ll actually harm them. They’ll get full ride scholarships at Liberty U.
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How about having them serve as volunteers in the Gulf cleaning up oil that makes it to shore? They can do it on their summer break.
With protective clothing, summer temperatures, and south-east humidity, they should be really miserable the whole time.
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The punishment really should be more severe because it might seem like it was just a small thing just calling a couple of guys fags but they might become paranoid going places at night in case they are killed so it really is a very very serious thing. With gay bashing quite common it can destroy a person’s quality of life and confidence.
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Gay activists are so intolerant!!! big surprise….
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#16 Mark you’re making me rethink the community service at the LGBT center; but I would say that making them miserable cleaning oil spills or whatever; however desirable; is not the main goal.
For this tragedy to do any good, it must be widely advertised what happens to perpetrators. That is why public humiliation such as Q & A sessions at their college; surrounding high schools etc. is so important. And not just the humiliation factor. Hopefully, when they get done answering questions, they will have thought about how others feel.
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@Jaroslaw:
I can tell you right here and now that humiliating these young men will accomplish nothing. I’m speaking as someone who understands this stuff. All it does is make these kids martyrs to some, and embitters a lot of others. Making them work at the LGBT center might help reform them by teaching them empathy. Humiliating them will teach them nothing.
More importantly, zero tolerance doesn’t work. Ever. It’s one of the most flawed disciplinary theories/policies I’ve ever had the misfortune to deal with.
Expulsion in this case is unwarranted, that punishment does not fit the crime (and I’d say that if this were about race, religion, or sex). If these kids had criminal records and didn’t learn the first time or had been disciplined for similar acts prior to this, I might be convinced that expulsion would be appropriate. But not for a first offense vandalism.
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Dr – this is not meant in a sarcastic way, but please explain if you can do it briefly how you “understand this stuff.” I said clearly that humiliation just for that purpose is not the goal. And just for example, most people are aware that prison is unpleasant and try very hard not to go there.
If race crimes went unpunished, we would still have them in far greater numbers than we have.
I do understand, I think, where you’re coming from (especially about the making martyr’s) but respectfully disagree. I think if something is egregious enough, a first offense is sufficient without any prior mishbehavior. Perhaps neither of us know enough of the facts to make a determination.
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@Jaroslaw:
Because I work with youth for a living.
If you want to have them do Q&A sessions, etc, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but you lumped them all together in the first part of your post and it was a bit confusing (you did say two different things, and I don’t consider some of what you listed as “humiliation”).
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Suspend them for a year.
In the unlikely event that another institution accepts them as transfer students, they’re gone. If not, they’re free to complete their degrees.
It’s not a question of “zero tolerance”, it’s a matter of sending a CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS SIGNAL that this sort of behavior carries VERY serious consequences.
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Tar and Feather; Drawn and Quartered; 100 Lashes; Firing Squad; Spiked Heads!!!
Or, fix the mess, apologize to victims, and community service, that sounds like a pretty reasonable and fair resolution. Expulsion? Thats too far; quite obviously the two are on notice that a repeat of their behavior would result in expulsion that seems right too.