Purdue: First
Amendment Protects ‘Outrageous’ Threats of Rape Against Pro-Life Students
by Dr. Susan Berry13 Feb 2016
Purdue University’s legal counsel has responded to
Breitbart News’ request for comment. It says that, because the school is
publicly funded, it is obligated under the First Amendment to protect the free
speech of its employee Jamie Newman, who allegedly threatened to rape pro-life
students on campus.
Brian Zink, with the office of Purdue University president and former Indiana
governor Mitch
Daniels, forwarded a response to Breitbart News from the school’s
legal counsel Steve Schultz:
As we’ve already indicated, a threat of rape is outside
the bounds of any definition of protected speech. And if it appeared that Mr.
Newman had any such intention, he would have been terminated immediately. But
the police investigation tells us that there was, and is, no real threat to the
campus community. That finding does not foreclose the possibility of other
employment-related actions based on Purdue’s internal complaint processes.
The disruption we’ve endured as a community is entirely
due to Mr. Newman’s online posts. Anything other than a full apology and
explanation from him about the intent of his statement will be insufficient to
cure the harm he’s done.
It’s fortunate for Mr. Newman that he works at a public
university both obligated under the First Amendment and committed by principle
to protect free speech — even speech as abhorrent as his. Had he uttered such
an outrageous and vulgar statement while working for a private college or other
private employer, he would almost certainly have been fired on the spot. Mr.
Newman’s obnoxious rhetoric is an embarrassment for Purdue, but our special
obligations as a public institution impose a much higher threshold before
condemnation can be extended to punishment.
Newman, a visual-arts department accompanist and
composer, was cleared by Purdue as far as his immediate employment there is
concerned after events last week in
which Purdue Students for Life placed posters on campus to mark Black History
Month. The posters emphasized the disproportionate numbers of black babies
aborted in the United States.
Among Newman’s reported responses to the pro-life
students’ display was a post on the group’s Facebook site that read, “You folks
are vile, racist idiots, who richly deserve all the opprobrium that will be
heaped on you as a result of this unbelievably thoughtless, stupid escapade…”
On the website of pro-life organization Live Action News,
Newman allegedly posted via his Disqus account the following comments in
response to those of pro-life commenters:
·
“No, no, no. I’d only rape someone if you were
watching, because i know it would turn you on to see a beautiful new baby
conceived in real time. Last I checked, you weren’t my wife.
·
“Maybe you’d get a thrill holding her down as I
rape her, knowing that the three of us would be engaged in the joyful task of
making a baby.”
·
“Oh, I’m sorry. So, let me make my intentions
quite explicit: I did in fact offer to rape Tom’s wife/daughter/great grandmother.
Free of charge, even. I’m generous that way.
More of Newman’s alleged comments can be found in
Breitbart News’ prior report about the
incident.
Purdue University
Mitchell E.
Daniels Jr. is the president of Purdue
University, a director at the Commission
on Presidential Debates, and a co-chairman for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Note: Leon E. Panetta
is a director at the Commission on
Presidential Debates, a co-chairman for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and was a defense
secretary for the Barack Obama
administration.
Committee
for a Responsible Federal Budget housed the New America Foundation.
Jonathan Soros is
a director at the New America Foundation,
George Soros’s son, and was vice
chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New America Foundation, and the Economic Policy Institute.
George
Soros was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society, and is Jonathan
Soros’s father.
National
Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a paid for staff by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,
and the Economic Policy Institute.
Alan K. Simpson
is a co-chair for the National
Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, a director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,
and was a director at the Commission on
Presidential Debates.
Mitchell E.
Daniels Jr. is a co-chairman for the Committee
for a Responsible Federal Budget, a director at the Commission on Presidential Debates, and the president of Purdue University.
Newton N. Minow
is a director at the Commission on
Presidential Debates, a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Commercial Club of
Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past Research)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
R. Eden Martin is
the president of the Commercial Club of
Chicago, and counsel at Sidley
Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama
was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack
Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin
LLP.
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