Hi everyone, my original post was removed because I linked to a blog. I thought I added text only, so sorry for the mistake. I AM SO SORRY I WAS UNABLE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS BEFORE MY POST WAS REMOVED. Please repost if you can, thanks. I want to hear your thoughts.
My postt was about what happened to Megan Rondini. I find the story of Megan treatment deeply disturbing and something that parents should know about. You can do your own search and find the story covered on BuzzFeed, CBS, CNN (HLN) and other news outlets.
The good news is that change is coming to Tuscaloosa. Already the DCH (hospital) has committed to enacting SANE guidelines. I find it deeply concerning that no test was done for date rape drugs. I hope that gets addressed as well.
Our children deserve to feel safe at their universities and surrounding communities.
I’m so sorry for this young woman and her family, but I’m confused about the purpose of your thread. Why should only OOS students consider this story? If AL laws need updating, shouldn’t state residents take that into consideration too? And why target the University of AL? Date rape can happen anywhere. Alabama has more than one college, so if their state laws are outdated it affects all of them.
We need to continue to educate all of our children so they know what to look out for and how to protect themselves. Travel with a buddy. Don’t accept open drinks and never leave a drink unattended. Keep a hand over your drink when you’re not drinking it because all it takes is one second of distraction for someone to slip something into your drink. Know your limit abd don’t exceed it. Those are more useful messages than warning people away from a college.
Families need to be aware of the dangers that can be found on any campus. I wouldn’t assume students are in danger on a particular campus because the assumption seems to be that they’ll be safe if they go elsewhere. I wouldn’t let my guard down anywhere.
I appreciate the comment. The original article I tried to share covers out of state students coming to UA for the money that is offered. You are absolutely correct that this applies to all students. Alabama, and Tuscaloosa in particular, have some work to do. Who knew they had archaic laws on the books?
Why UA? I am most concerned about the way that parties involved responded to this young woman. UA, DCH and the PD all failed to respond appropriately. With parents so far away, it’s deeply concerning. Again, you are correct. Prevention is key. That is sometimes not enough.
Just a sad sad article. Unfortunatley, this has and does go on all over college campuses across the country. Sadly, too many times it comes down to “he said she said” and the act of rape goes without any punishment. Regardless if your an OOS student or an instate student, things can and do happen. Just don’t put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation.
This was a terrible tragedy, and having seen video of the police interview with Megan I think that the family have every right to complain about the way she was treated when they took her statement. However I can’t see how the university is to blame in any way. Megan was legally an adult on a night out with friends when the alleged rape took place. Her attacker was not a student and the event took place off campus. When she reported what had happened to UA she was provided with counseling through the University’s Women & Gender Resource Center. Her first therapist recused herself, as ethically she should, since she knew the man Megan accused. Megan was then “immediately introduced to another therapist, who provided care and support. Additionally, the UA Title IX Office was in contact with Megan, including offering academic accommodations and helping to streamline her withdrawal when Megan elected to return to Texas.”
What more should the university have done? They have no control over the Tuscaloosa Police, but they obviously did their best to help Megan when she reported the incident.
Buzzfeed is notorious for sensational and salacious reporting and has a string of lawsuits against them as a consequence. CNN et al should know better and check their facts before publishing a “cut and paste” story.
Let’s be real. If this involved any esteemed school outside of the South, it is doubtful that the national and even local (with a grudge against UA) press would try to imply that out of state students should rethinking going there. How did UA fail to adequately respond? You are making a serious charge, without any support for it.
I agree with @Atlanta68. This is a sad story, but to try to sway OOS students from attending UA because of this tragedy seems silly to me. Date rape occurs at colleges all over the country. I also don’t think we have all the facts of this story. The BuzzFeed article seemed very one-sided to me and was published directly in advance of the filing of a lawsuit. The facts alleged in the lawsuit are just allegations. You can’t assume it is an accurate portrayal of what happened. I’m sure the answer UA files will present facts that look much different. To be honest, I haven’t seen any facts that have not been disputed that indicate UA did anything wrong. Should the Alabama rape law be changed? Yes. Should DCH follow SANE guidelines? Yes. Should parents speak with their daughters (and sons) about this? Of course. But I would not hesitate to send a child to the University of Alabama on account of what happened to Megan Rondini.
While you are right that rape happens on all college campuses, there are disturbing details to this story that should certainly give parents pause before sending their children to Alabama.
The town of Tuscaloosa needs reform - the following article describes how law enforcement protects wealthy community members like Megan’s rapist, TJ Bunn. This allows a group of individuals to distribute GHB and other date-rape drugs FOR the purpose of date tape. If a journalist has confirmed that a roofie-ring is happening in Tuscaloosa deliberately allowing men to rape college -aged girls, then I’d say the university has a unique problem.
Additionally, the way the university handled Megan’s case is telling. Sure, your daughter could be raped anywhere, but if your daughter is raped at Alabama, she will not receive a proper rape kit, will not be assisted academically, will not be encouraged nor supported to press charges against her rapist in court, and will be refused counseling from the university counseling center. That’s what Megan went through, and based on what she wrote before committing suicide, these are the systemic failures that led to her taking her own life.
I wish I could say that the University is handling the situation, and taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again, but they are not. They have only released a statement protecting their own image and taking no responsibility. Unfortunately Alabama is in denial when it comes to issues of drugs/alcohol/sexual assault on campus. Until university officials are willing to admit the university has a unique sexual assault problem, and until they start holding rapists like TJ Bunn accountable, nothing will change.
So no, I will not be sending my children to Alabama in the near future, nor would I recommend it to anyone I know. Of course all the parents on this forum can make up their own minds. But they should at least know the truth.
@theatremia, I don’t know what relationship, if any, you have with the University of Alabama, or what your exact agenda is, but I see statements you are making that are in conflict with what I’ve heard. My experience, and my daughter’s experience, with the University of Alabama is very positive. What they told us they were doing and would do (thankfully not related to sexual assault), they did. Promises that were made to us were kept. The individuals at the University that we have dealt with were kind, caring and upfront. So when the University says that they offered counseling and academic assistance to Megan Rondini, I believe them, because I have no reason not to. When they say they’re taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again, I believe them. I would not discourage families from considering the University on account of this case. I think there are a lot of conflicting facts, and a lawsuit that prevents all information from coming out at this point. I would encourage every family to discuss this issue with their children. It is a problem on college campuses and beyond. But this - “if your daughter is raped at Alabama, she will not receive a proper rape kit, will not be assisted academically, will not be encouraged nor supported to press charges against her rapist in court, and will be refused counseling from the university counseling center” - sorry, I don’t believe that.
What article?
Now I see it must be the blog you linked to in another thread. You do realize that people can write anything on a blog? As I have said before it is important to wait and hear the evidence rather than listen to wild accusations.
Universities do not provide rape kits. That is a matter for the police as what is collected is subject to chain of evidence procedures. As for the rest, Megan was not refused counseling. Her first therapist recused herself for conflict of interest as she knew the man Megan accused. However a second therapist was assigned to Megan.
University towns and cities everywhere have incidents of rape, however tragic the outcome of this incident there is nothing unique about it. As for holding the alleged attacker accountable, what would you have the university do? This man has been accused but not been convicted of any crime.
She was not raped “at Alabama,” but off campus in Tuscaloosa, so not sure why you felt the need to write “at
Alabama,” which surely was meant to imply it happened on campus, when it is a fact it did not.
Also, you have not proven that UA failed to offer academic and psychological counseling. Yes, a UA counselor recused herself from counseling Meghan, but she was offered a different UA counselor who did not have a conflict as the other counselor did.
And no, UA does NOT have a unique sexual assault problem. Do you really think that UA would be attracting so many amazing female students from out of state if its sexual assault problem was unique in some way?
Theatremania obviously has something personal against The University of Alabama. The rape didn’t happen on campus and the attacker was not a student. Megan went to the police as she should have. It certainly is not the job of the University to make sure she receives a rape kit or encourages her to press charges. Ridiculous.