Miami University students on Wednesday protested a speech given by conservative columnist George will at the Oxford, Ohio campus over his controversial column on campus rape.
Will penned a column in June in which he lamented that universities’ efforts to address campus rape have made “victimhood a coveted status,” sparking backlash.
During his speech at the Farmer School of Business, students gathered in front of the school chanting and holding signs with phrases like “Rape is not a privilege” and “All I covet is to feel safe.”
As part of the protest organized by the school’s Women’s Center, sexual assault survivors and supporters also gave testimonials about their experiences.
Before the speech, about 1,000 students and faculty signed a open letter opposing the school’d decision to pay for Will to speak on campus.
Yet the school stood behind its decision and supported students’ decision to protest Will’s presence on campus.
“We’ve made it clear that, as a university, we don’t have to agree or disagree with people who might be on campus and speak, but we have to allow some space to learn and then also have the rebuttal if requested,” Miami University spokeswoman Claire Wagner told Cincinnati television station WLWT.
Will did not address his column on campus sexual assault during the speech, but students confronted him during the question and answer portion.
When challenged by one student, Will defended his column and criticized “the dubious sociology” behind the definition of sexual assault, according to the Cincinnati Inquirer.
Watch a video of the protests via Cincinnati station WCPO:
H/t Media Matters
