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Tuesday November 28, 2017 vol. CXLI no. 108
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } BEYOND THE BUBBLE
U. visiting prof. allegedly discouraged Title IX reports By Ivy Truong contributor
After “many years of silence,” Kimberly Latta, a psychotherapist and writer from Pittsburgh, has come forward to describe her experience with complaints of alleged sexual harassment at University of California, Berkeley between 1984-85. Latta alleges that Frances Ferguson, currently a visiting Bain-Swiggett Professor of Poetry at the University and the then-Title IX administrator at Berkeley, discouraged her from making a formal report of the matter. In a Facebook post dated Nov. 5, Latta alleged that while she was a graduate student in Berkeley’s comparative literature department, she was sexually harassed, assaulted, and raped by a visiting professor. The accused professor taught at Berkeley in 1985 and is currently professor emeritus at Stanford University. He denies any wrongdoing. Ferguson is currently on faculty at the University of Chicago, where she is the Ann L. and Lawrence B. Buttenwieser Professor of English Language and Literature and the College. This fall, Ferguson is teaching a graduate seminar at the University entitled, “Poetics - Poetic Realism: Episodes, 18th Century to the Present.” Assistant Vice President for
Communications Daniel Day declined to comment on Latta’s allegations regarding Ferguson at this time. Latta believes a friendship between Ferguson and the accused professor affected Ferguson’s handling of Latta’s case. In an emailed statement to the ‘Prince’, the accused professor denies that he and Ferguson were even friends at the time of the allegations, although he admits they “became friends later.” Ferguson’s statements hold that she and the accused professor were mere acquaintances. In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ Ferguson said the two “did not know each other in 1984-85.” The Stanford Daily reports that Ferguson said she and the accused professor did not see much of each other outside of “chance professional encounters” once the accused professor left Berkeley. In Ferguson’s statement to The Stanford Daily, she said that she had understood the situation to be that the accused professor had only asked — not pressured — Latta for sex. “She [Ferguson] treats it as though [the accused professor asking for sex was] nothing, like it was no big deal,” Latta said to the ‘Prince’ on her problem about Ferguson’s statement to The Stanford Daily. Latta also alleges that FerguSee TITLE IX page 3
U . A F FA I R S
U . A F FA I R S
ROSE GILBERT :: SENIOR WRITER
A panel of University administrators and faculty members answered audience questions about the University’s Title IX process in response to the recent Title IX investigation of Professor Verdú.
U. townhall on punishment for sexual misconduct By Rose Gilbert senior writer
Dozens of members of the University community gathered in Maeder Hall on Monday, Nov. 27 for the first of three town hall meetings on the University’s handling of sexual misconduct cases, specifically the disciplinary actions it takes against perpetrators. These town halls were scheduled in response to widespread outrage at the actions of Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering Sergio Verdú, who was found guilty of sexually harassing one of his graduate students, Yeohee Im GS, in a Title IX investigation earlier this summer. Verdú remains a salaried professor at the University after the investigation. According to Im in a Nov. 9 Huffington Post article, Verdú’s only punishment was an eight-hour
training session. In the wake of this article, over 650 undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni have signed a petition demanding that the University elevate its disciplinary action against Verdú. Many of these signatories attended a meeting about the petition the week before Thanksgiving break, where they expressed their frustration that Verdú would not be terminated. At the town hall, a panel of administrators and faculty members answered audience questions about the University’s Title IX process. These administrators and faculty members explained to the audience that they could not legally comment on specific Title IX cases. Michele Minter, Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity, said that complainants in Title IX cases are informed about disciplinary action such as termination or inability to advise students only when
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
that disciplinary action directly impacts that complainent. Punishments like loss of pay remain invisible both to the complainant and to the broader university community. While unable to comment on Im’s case, Minter asserted that “training is never the only penalty” in these kinds of cases. The town hall’s audience was tense and seemed frustrated with the Title IX office’s numerous privacy constraints, including their inability to discuss specific cases or precedence. Many, like first-year electrical engineering graduate student Michael Soskind, appreciated the value of holding such meetings but said he had hoped that a town hall would generate “more tangible recommendations that can be implemented by the University.” Im attended the meeting, circumventing Title IX privacy rules by disSee TOWNHALL page 3 U . A F FA I R S
International student Druid leads “stance numbers increase despite national trend experience” senior writer
LINH NGUYEN :: CONTRIBUTOR
Images of of an African American family are projected on a sculpture of Finley in front of MacLean House.
U. professor discusses U. complicity in slavery By Linh Nguyen contributor
“Princeton students lived on a landscape of slavery,” Professor Martha Sandweiss said about antebellum Princeton in a meeting discussing the University’s racially charged history. This meeting followed a wide-scale symposium on the University’s history with slavery that took place from Nov. 17-20 featuring keynote
In Opinion
speaker professor emerita Toni Morrison and a panel of speakers from other Ivy League universities. The University launched the Princeton & Slavery Project to bring attention to the details of slavery that have often been kept hidden from public knowledge, and in light of student agitation in recent years about how the University reckons with its past. See SLAVERY page 2
Electrical engineering faculty comment on recent events in the department, senior columnist Max Grear brings attention back to divestment, and contributing columnist Liam O’Connor comments on Verdú’s punishment. PAGE 4
For the first time in its 12-year history, the 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange found that the number of international students enrolling in U.S. universities has decreased. For the 2016-17 school year, international enrollment fell by about three percent, or about 10,000 students. The University, however, appears to be bucking this trend. According to data provided to the ‘Prince’ by the University’s Davis International Center, the total number of international students enrolling for the 2017-18 academic year stood at 467, an increase of 12 percent from the 2016-17 school year. Graduate student enrollment showed a larger 15 percent increase, from 263 students to 304. The number of undergraduates grew 7 percent, from 152 students to 163. According to an article in The Atlantic, the national decrease coincides with a stricter U.S. policy on im-
migration. “The political discourse surrounding foreign nationals in the U.S. . . could be damaging to international student-recruitment efforts,” suggested a national survey cited in the article, which was conducted by six higher-education groups. The survey, sampling 250 colleges, found that four in 10 have experienced a decline in international applicants for the fall of 2017. The University has taken action against the recent immigration ban affecting seven countries with predominantly Muslim populations. In March of 2016, the University filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting a legal challenge to the act. University President Christopher Eisgruber ‘83 also released a statement emphasizing the University’s commitment to international students. “Since its early days, when the College of New Jersey recruited a transformative president from Scotland, this University has depended on America’s ability to attract and engage with See INT’L page 3
Today on Campus 7 p.m.: Different From the Others, a reconstruction of this banned first film about homosexuality, and Girls in Uniform, a film about Prussian gender politics, will be screened with a discussion following. East Pyne Building, 010.
By Benjamin Ball contributor
A small gathering of about two dozen University students, staff, and community members convened for a unique, meditative experience in Frist 114 the afternoon of Nov. 27. The meeting, led by James Lawer, was an explanation of ancient practices and stances as well as the physiology behind them. After an explanation, Lawer led the group for about half an hour in their own “stance experience.” “It’s a very old tradition in the human communities, and it seems to be that our human bodies are designed to go into [a] trance,” said Lawer. “It’s all normal.” Lawer has graduate degrees in theatre and divinity. He spent many years of hospice work with HIV/ AIDS patients, and afterwards devoted himself to teaching himself and other indigenous traditions of North, Central, and South America, as well as the Druid traditions of Great Britain. Lawer explained that difSee STANCE page 2
WEATHER
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Tuesday November 28, 2017
Sandweiss: Slavery doesn’t make us special, it makes us American SLAVERY Continued from page 1
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Sandweiss, a professor in the University’s History Department and a specialist in American History, began the project in 2013 after her undergraduate research seminar led to more and more questions about the University’s role in racial atrocities both before and after the Civil War. The University’s history has been unraveled to reveal details that had been hidden for centuries. Students and faculty in attendance discussed New Jersey’s political history as well
as how the University normalized slavery during the 19th century, in part because of a heavily Southern student population. The group also analyzed the University’s past with slavery in comparison to other Ivies at the time. “It [slavery] doesn’t make us special,” said Sandweiss. “It just makes us American.” However, Sandweiss emphasized that the University was the “most Southern Ivy,” wryly adding, “[and] not geographically.” Sandweiss also discussed Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, the controversial University and U.S. president known for his racist ideas and policies. She cautioned
students should understand the historical context of Wilson’s ideology, where he professed segregationist ideas and policies, and its frequency in powerful figures at this time in American history. “There is a long history here,” Sandweiss admitted. “There is a reason that his ideas found a receptive audience in this place.” At the meeting’s conclusion, Sandweiss led the students to the front of MacLean House, where Titus Kaphar’s “Impressions of Liberty” stands. The sculpture depicts Samuel Finley, the University’s fifth president, and an African American man, woman, and child overlaying
his image. Sandweiss then turned toward Nassau Street and pointed to two large sycamore trees by the entrance to MacLean House, explaining that Finley had auctioned off three of his slaves under these so-called “Liberty Trees” in 1766. The students in attendance took Sandweiss’s message seriously and hope to apply their newfound understanding to their lives in the future. “It’s the responsibility of everyone here to understand this history,” said Akash Kushwaha ‘21. “We are history at the end of the day.” Clarence Rowley ‘95, Head of Rockefeller College and
professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, was also in attendance and praised Sandweiss for all of the work that she has done with the project. “It was great that she was able to walk us through the site and the concept, to have that face-to-face interaction,” said Rowley. “Everybody there came away with a deeper understanding of the project and Princeton’s historic involvement with slavery and the institution of slavery.” The meeting, held for students in Rockefeller College, took place on Monday, Nov. 27 at 4:30 p.m. at MacLean House.
Attendees reported visionary states, ‘severe anxiety’ STANCE
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ferent physical stances had different mental effects. He cited several different example of druidic and indigenous stances, like the “Lion Man Stance” which left users confident and feeling energized, and the “Underworld” stance, leav-
ing participants concerned and a few even with headaches. “The brainwaves change,” he continued, “We tend to think in ordinary framework in beta waves, but in trance and meditation states ... your brainwaves slow down and go into theta states. It sits right at the border between deep sleep and access to memories and dreams and the state at
which you’re awake.” Lawer’s process began with him singing a hymn to each cardinal direction, one upward, and then one downward. Afterwards, Lawer and his participants closed their eyes and breathed for five minutes before beginning the stance. The stance, in which participants stand with feet six inches apart, bent knees, cupped hands next to their hips, and
mouths slightly open, was held for fifteen minutes while Lawer shook a rattle. After that time, Lawer slowly brought his rattle to a stop, told participants to take one last, deep breath, and then sit down. “I use the rattle to stimulate the nervous system,” explained Lawer. “A number of things happen. When I rattle, I rattle at 210 to 220 beats per minute, at which
the nervous system is stimulated and the body starts going into trance.” The stance he led them in he later revealed was called “The Feathered Snake Stance,” meant to symbolize a process of death and rebirth. He explained that the purpose of the rattle beyond a nervous stimulator was to create a sort of mental stability, a sound to come back to if a participant lost focus. Lawer distinguished trance states from hypnotism, saying that the former was externally caused while the later was an internal choice. “People report visionary states, prophecies, and deal with many personal issues as well,” said Lawer. “Many people experience heart rate going up and blood pressure drops. This is sometimes known as a Shamanic Death state … but that normalizes right away. Lawer also explained some of the history behind the stance, saying it was first seen in cave paintings from 5000 B.C. in Siberia, and shortly thereafter in Central Yugoslavia and some similar stances in Eastern Peru. In 500 B.C., the stance was also found in copper cutouts in the Ganges Valley. Reactions to the experience were mixed. One participant described feeling “severe anxiety” in the initial stages of her trance. Another claimed to see visions of a wooded clearing, while another explained his experience of feeling unstable, as if he was on a subway train. One other member claimed to experience memories of times in the early 1990s that he had not thought of in a long time. Many members, however, were amore skeptical, feeling as if the experience left them relatively unaffected. Lawer is on the board of directors at the Cuyamungue Institute, an organization dedicated to education in physical postures that transform consciousness. He is a faculty member and mentor at the California Institute of Integral Studies CPTR program, an advisory board member for the Center for Optimal Living Psychedelic Integration Program, and a founder and teacher of the Druid College, teaching direct experiences of nature in New York and Maine.
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Tuesday November 28, 2017
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Wong: Many students perceive US colleges as more prestigious INT’L
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talented people from around the world,” Eisgruber said in the statement. Rather than stress the travel ban, students at the University cited the perception of the high cost of U.S. colleges as a major deterrent among international students to even apply. For Alistair MacDiarmid ’20, students in his hometown of Commugny, Switzerland did not often turn to the United States for college. “It was common to go
abroad to other European countries like England or France, but not common to go to the U.S. unless you had an American parent like me,” MacDiarmid said. Tomisin Fasawe ‘21, from Akure, Nigeria, said that the difficulty of accessing financial aid outlets meant that relatively few students in Nigeria apply to U.S. schools. “For my school in Nigeria, it was fairly usual for kids to try, at least, to search for American schools to attend. The numbers of people who kept on searching, however, reduced after the global drop in oil prices,” Fasawe said in an email. “The U.S. Dollar
became more expensive, and schooling in the US became less likely for most kids.” According to Alan Wong ’21, students at his international school in Hong Kong had a favorable perception of schools in the U.S. “Speaking of Hong Kong students in general, including international school students, many students perceive US colleges as more prestigious, more wellrounded, and more fun,” Wong wrote in an email. According to Wong, Hong Kong students are well aware of U.S. colleges’ high global rankings and low acceptance rates. U.S. colleges also offer a broader liberal
arts education and advertise extracurricular activities, while Hong Kong universities focus more specifically on academics. Fasawe said that the exchange rate between the Nigerian Naira and the U.S. dollar was a greater deterrent than the travel ban. “I had a friend from Libya, however, [who] was a bit concerned about how the travel ban might have affected him. Right now, he’s safe at UPenn. So I guess it didn’t!” Fasawe added in the email. According to Wong, the political perception of the United States in Hong Kong actually played a positive
role in his decision to come to the University. Fasawe said that the exchange rate between the Nigerian Naira and the United States dollar was a greater deterrent than the travel ban. “Many students in Hong Kong, frustrated with the city’s lack of progress in democracy, see the U.S., or the west in general, as a place possessing a superior political system,” Wong said. “This, in some sense, translates into an even greater admiration towards US colleges, making the colleges even more prestigious in the eyes of Hong Kong students.”
Houck: Faculty needs more training on being effective by-standers TOWNHALL Continued from page 1
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cussing her own case in hypotheticals. Im asked panelists to “imagine” a hypothetical situation identical to her own. She asked panelists what kind of behavior, if not that of Verdú’s hypothetical counterpart, merited suspension or termination or other, visible punishments. Minter responded that every case is dif-
ferent and that there is no “chart” to match specific actions with different punishments. The town hall’s audience seemed surprised to learn that the Dean of Faculty alone decides punishments for faculty members found responsible for sexual misconduct. Many audience members raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest leading to more lenient penalties. In addition to disciplinary action, attendees also discussed how faculty and administrators might identify
and address inappropriate behavior in its early stages. To this point, electrical engineering professor Andrew Houck ‘00, who authored a Letter to the Editor in the ‘Prince,’ said that he felt faculty “could use a lot more training on being effective by-standers” in order to better prevent and intervene in abuses of power within their departments. Moreover, Houck suggested that tight-knit research communities are often aware of “bad actors” before the University or other officials catch
wind of inappropriate behavior. As such, Houck noted these communities themselves might become a resource in screening for faculty misconduct. In careful hypotheticals, one member of the audience asked what she should do if a student of hers disclosed an experience of sexual harassment while simultaneously begging her listener not report the incident. In response, panelist and Title IX administrator Regan Crotty stressed that all
faculty, staff, and RAs are obligated to report sexual misconduct. Crotty added that, while the Title IX office is “victim-centered,” it will nevertheless proceed with an investigation against a complainant’s wishes if it thinks there is a threat to the broader University community. Crotty “strongly recommended” that students who were unsure if they would like to make a report should go to SHARE, a confidential resource, for support and advice.
Former grad student alleges pressure to remain silent at Berkeley TITLE IX Continued from page 1
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son influenced her not to make a formal report against the accused professor. “It wasn’t like she [Ferguson] said, ‘Oh, we’re going to do something about this,’ or ‘This is terrible that this is happening to you,’” Latta said to the ‘Prince’ of Ferguson’s handling of her case. “She [Ferguson] didn’t stress that at all,” Latta said. Latta alleges that Ferguson remained “disinterested” in her case, even after Latta cried in Ferguson’s office. “When I went to see her [Ferguson], I described the distress, the fact that I couldn’t get focused, that this professor was harrassing me, that he wouldn’t leave me alone, that I was extremely upset,” said Latta. “I may not have told her that I was raped because I was frankly so ashamed of that [the rape] and just felt really awful.” Ferguson furthers that she would have only been able to show support to Latta if Latta had filed a formal complaint. “Showing support [to accusers] is something one can only do once an investigation of a formal report has been completed and a disciplinary action taken,” Ferguson explained to the ‘Prince’ in response to Latta’s allegations of inappropriate neutrality. In an emailed statement to the ‘Prince,’ on Nov. 12 — shortly after the allegations were reported by The Daily Californian and The Chronicle of Higher Education nationwide — Ferguson also defended her response to Latta’s complaints. According to Ferguson, she had to show objectivity during her meeting with Latta because of her role as Title IX officer. The responsibilities of a Title IX officer, Ferguson explained, center on investigating all formal complaints. In order to fulfill these duties, explained Ferguson, she could not act in any way that showed favor or sympathy for any particular party. Ferguson noted that informal complaints often amount to Title IX officers issuing a letter to the accused to stop inappropriate actions. “Having a Title IX officer take the side of a complainant when she/he/they have not yet decided whether they want to make a formal complaint would effectively deprive them of the possibility of proceeding to make a formal complaint,” Ferguson wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’ “The Title IX officer needs to maintain an impassive demeanor even when hearing a very distressing report in an informal
complaint.” Latta also alleges Ferguson mishandled both the reporting and documentation of the case. In her interview with the ‘Prince,’ Latta alleges that her eventual decision not to file a report was affected by Ferguson’s never having offered her the option of an informal report. Latta said her only choices were a formal report or none at all. “She never offered me that option [of an informal complaint], ever,” Latta said to the ‘Prince.’ A formal report, said Latta, was too overwhelming. As such, Latta said she felt like her only option was to remain silent. “I do remember her saying to me, that one [option] was to be quiet and the other was to make a formal report. The formal report, at the time, was quite involved,” Latta said. “It involved hearings and a court, and it sounded like it would be another totally re-traumatizing experience.” Ferguson maintains that she offered Latta that option of a formal report along with the informal complaint as an option. According to Ferguson, she exerted no pressure on Latta’s reporting decision. Regarding her case’s documentation, Latta alleged that when she insisted her complainant’s name be included in Ferguson’s recording of the incident, Ferguson disagreed and instead told Latta not to disclose the complainant [the professor’s] name to Ferguson. Latta explained in an interview that, in her meeting with Ferguson, she insisted Ferguson include the complainant’s name in her records, to which Ferguson said that she would only leave his initials. According to Latta, Ferguson explained that the initials would help her track documents in case another person accuses the same professor of assault. Ferguson attributes her neutrality to that needed in her role as a Title IX officer. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a Title IX investigation “must be adequate, reliable, impartial, and prompt and include the opportunity for both parties to present witnesses and other evidence.” Latta emphasized her shock at what she calls Ferguson’s “unconcerned” statement to The Stanford Daily in its piece on the matter. Latta said she never heard from Ferguson after their meeting. The extent of their interaction, Latta told the ‘Prince’, was isolated to that initial meeting. Latta left Berkeley’s graduate program in 1986, two years after having started in 1984. She had earned a master’s degree in
comparative literature, though she had intended to complete the Ph.D. program. Latta is now a psychotherapist after having spent some time teaching English literature at both the University of Pittsburgh and Saint Louis University. In 1998, she received a Ph.D. from Rutgers University
in English. In 1987, two years after the alleged incident, Ferguson published “Rape and the Rise of the Novel,” an essay has been called called “groundbreaking” for its assertion that experiences with sexual violence have been integral in the rise of the psychological novel.
In September, the University celebrated the essay’s thirtieth anniversary with a full day symposium, “Rape and the Rise of the Novel at 30: A Master Class.” University English Department Chair William Gleason was not available for comment at the time of publication.
Opinion
Tuesday November 28, 2017
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Letter to the Editor: Sexual Harassment in Electrical Engineering from ELE Faculty
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e, the undersigned members of the faculty of Electrical Engineering, are writing to express our anger, concern, and frustration in response to the recent incident of sexual harassment in our department. We have no tolerance for such behavior and condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We are angry that a student in our community has been harmed, and that our community, which is built on a relationship of trust, has been damaged.
We are concerned that the safety and well-being of our students and all members of our community be ensured. We are frustrated with and believe that University processes must be much stronger to deal with such violations of trust when they occur. Specifically, to restore trust and protect students: (i) the processes must be as transparent as possible as allowed by law; and (ii) victims must be able to report freely and with the confidence that penalties will serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who does not up-
Ravin N. Bhatt Minjie Chen Stephen Y. Chou Nathalie de Leon Jason Fleischer Claire Gmachl Andrew Houck Niraj K. Jha Stephen A. Lyon Sharad Malik Prateek Mittal Paul Prucnal Barry P. Rand Kaushik Sengupta Mansour Shayegan James Sturm Jeff Thompson Naveen Verma Gerard Wysocki
hold the principle of trust between mentors and students/ postdocs has no place in our community. Universities and institutions everywhere are struggling with the issue of how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault. We are proud that Princeton has recently been on the leading edge of many important issues, such as enhancing diversity and promoting access to a Princeton education. We will do everything in our power to ensure our university leads in setting a positive example on this issue.
Don’t kill due process Liam O’Connor
contributing columnist
T
he University community was appalled when it heard that a Title IX panel found electrical engineering Professor Sergio Verdú “responsible for sexual harassment” of graduate student Yeohee Im. The community was even more appalled that he allegedly received only an eighthour training course for punishment, according to Im. University spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss told the ‘Prince’ that “penalties were imposed in addition to the required counseling” and Vice President for Communications Daniel Day said that he could not disclose the other penalties. Now, staff and students want to raise his punishment. Two weeks ago, fellow columnist Ryan Born argued that the University should terminate Verdú. Last week, the Under-
graduate Student Government debated a resolution asking the University to increase his penalty. A day later, the ‘Prince’ published a petition signed by over 700 students, alumni, faculty, and staff asking for an elevation of “disciplinary actions against Professor Verdú.” On Nov. 20, electrical engineering students gathered to criticize Verdú’s supposedly light punishment. These demands undermine due process and have serious repercussions on disciplinary proceedings for the University community at large. Due process is the guarantee that individuals are treated impartially through a judicial system; it ensures that they are fairly punished for their actions. By pressuring the administration to retroactively change his punishment, these groups are circumventing the school’s established misconduct panels, thereby undercutting their decisions. Verdú was investigated and punished for what was — at that
time — considered appropriate for his sexual misconduct. The administration should maintain Verdú’s current punishment. The punishment can be changed for future cases, but not for past decisions. First, it’s wrong to condemn the school’s conduct without knowing the full extent of Verdú’s punishment. He could have received other punishments that aren’t outwardly apparent. According to Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, faculty penalties for sexual misconduct could include demotion, financial penalty, unpaid leave of absence, or other unnamed measures permitted by “the employment policies governing the employee in question.” We wouldn’t know if any of these occurred — especially if an unpaid leave was short — unless the University or Verdú himself disclosed them, which they have not. Even if Im’s claim is true, staff and students shouldn’t force ad-
ministrators to change a punishment. Doing this delegitimizes the school’s disciplinary panels. When a member of the University community breaks a rule, a Title IX panel, the Undergraduate Honor Committee, or Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline will investigate the alleged misconduct, determine guilt, and assign a punishment. These panels are vested with the power to assign punishments because they are unbiased and analyze evidence that indicates the severity of an individual’s misconduct. Retroactively changing a punishment will compromise these panels’ authority and sets an alarming precedent. To illustrate this with a less extreme transgression, imagine a student getting caught for cheating on an Introduction to Computer Science exam – one of the most common Honor Code violations. The Honor Committee gives the student a one-year suspension. Upon return, the student learns that the computer science professors want to crack down on cheating, and they successfully petition University administrators to expel him. Such an ex post facto rule would clearly be unfair. At the time that the student cheated, the University community — which collectively sets punishment standards — thought that a suspension was an appropriate punishment for his infraction. Altering the punishment in this example weakens the Honor Committee’s power. It would set a dangerous precedent where anyone’s disciplinary punishment could be overridden by a petition from people who haven’t seen all of the case’s evidence and may harbor arbitrary biases against a particular person The same is true of Verdú’s case. We shouldn’t retroactively alter punishments based on ever-changing popular will and political winds. Before Verdú’s story broke, the University community, as a whole, wasn’t publicly pushing for a zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy like it’s presently doing. Unless his punishment contradicts current rules, administrators should preserve disciplinary panels’ integrity by not changing it. There is one exception to this. According to a recording obtained by the ‘Prince,’ Dean of Faculty Deborah Prentice said that, “there was a broader set of allegations” against Verdú, though no one else has spoken on the record about them. If additional students file Title IX complaints and he is found responsible, Princeton can treat him as a repeat offender and terminate him accordingly. That being said, the University’s Title IX policy should be more transparent. They ought to disclose when professors are found responsible of misconduct and specify their punishments. Should students learn of Verdú’s full punishment and are still outraged, then, and only then, can they advocate to change penalty requirements.
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Matthew McKinlay ’18 business manager
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas J. Widmann ’90 Kathleen Crown William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Kathleen Kiely ’77 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Lisa Belkin ‘82 Francesca Barber trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73
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Transparency would help the University community evaluate the effectiveness of disciplinary procedures and determine whether they need to be updated. While Professor Verdú’s alleged misconduct is despicable, we can’t make brash demands. It’s perfectly fine if the University community wants to terminate professors found responsible for sexual misconduct in the future. But doing this post factum to Verdú’s verdict has grave consequences. Princeton’s disciplinary procedures ensure that staff and students receive punishments from unbiased panels. By demanding to change Verdu’s punishment, we kill due process. Liam O’Connor is a sophomore from Wyoming, Del. He can be reached at lpo@princeton.edu.
Opinion
Tuesday November 28, 2017
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Against for-profit detention: the divestment movement continues Max Grear
senior columnist
A
t the recent Princeton & Slavery Symposium, speakers like Toni Morrison discussed Princeton’s past entanglements in the U.S. slave economy and the implications of this history for the present. As we continue to reflect on our institution’s sordid racial legacy, it’s worth considering the University’s relation to a modern-day industry that cages human bodies for profit — private prisons and immigrant detention centers. For two academic years now, students (myself included) have been pushing the University to divest from the for-profit detention industry. Members of the Princeton Private Prison Divest Coalition (PPPD, of which I am a lead organizer) have been meeting regularly with University administrators over this time in order to demonstrate that current or future investments in private prisons and detention centers would contradict the University’s core values of integrity, diversity, and service to humanity. Over the past two years, the students involved in the divestment campaign have maintained contact with the broader campus community through petitions, referenda, and editorials. However, since newer community members might be unaware of PPPD’s work, it’s worth returning to a few basic ques-
tions: what are for-profit detention companies? Why divest from them? What does divestment entail, exactly? Where does the divestment campaign currently stand? The for-profit detention industry includes companies that directly operate private prisons and immigrant centers, as well as companies contracted by prisons to provide services like communications and health. PPPD’s proposal has specified eleven specific companies for divestment, including the prison and detention operators G4S plc, the Geo Group, CoreCivic (formerly the Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA), and service providers like Corizon Health, Inc. and Global Tel Link (a telecommunications company). So why do these companies’ practices contradict core University values? Scholars, government researchers, community organizers, and legal advocates have repeatedly drawn attention to human rights abuses perpetrated by for-profit detention companies. Researchers have proven that private prisons have high death rates and frequent assaults. Private prisons have poor working conditions for staff, and individuals who have been incarcerated in privately-run facilities are more likely to recidivate (that is, to go back to prison after having been released). Even compared to the abysmal racial disparities in the U.S. prison system in general, black and His-
panic individuals are overrepresented by even higher margins in private prisons. Conditions within private prisons are shielded from oversight. The private prison industry exercises a significant degree of inf luence over elected officials through lobbying while avoiding transparent disclosures of political campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are held in detention centers, the large majority of which are privately-run. The GEO Group and CoreCivic also operate immigrant detention centers, which indefinitely detain individuals in harsh conditions and denied access to family and legal counsel. Other service providers to prisons and detention centers also exploit the families of prisoners and detainees, like the telecommunications company JPay. More broadly, prison privatization is inherently dangerous it generates profit through the caging of (disproportionately black and brown) human bodies. As the Princeton & Slavery Project makes abundantly clear, the University’s history is intimately tied to the eerily similar commodification of black bodies. The University thus has a particular moral responsibility to fully disassociate itself from a prison system that Michelle Alexander has called the “New Jim Crow.” But what, exactly, would divestment entail? The term “divestment” stands in for a broader strategy of disas-
sociation from a morally repugnant industry. When an institution divests from a particular industry, it not only drops current investments, but ensures against any future investments in the targeted companies. The Princeton Private Prison Divest Coalition is currently pursuing the second side of divestment. This semester, members of the University Resources Committee are continuing to deliberate over whether or not to recommend that the University implement a negative screen prohibiting any future investments the eleven companies targeted by PPPD. Importantly, this question of a negative screen is the same issue that was raised by the successful movement to divest from Darfur. In a 2006 press release, a spokesperson explained that “while the University currently has no direct holdings in companies operating in the Sudan, the finance committee of the University’s Board of Trustees voted today (June 5) to adopt a policy of disassociating from companies that directly or indirectly conduct operations in Darfur that support acts of genocide, and to prevent future investment in such companies.” As it turns out, PPPD’s goal for a negative screen against future investments is consistent with President Eisgruber’s own off-thecuff remarks about the forprofit detention industry. At last spring’s meeting of
the Council of the Princeton University Community, in response to a packed lecture hall of divestment supporters, President Eisgruber declared that “we do not hold investments in the companies that are the current subject of this petition” and “there is no intention to invest in those companies.” This public admission is a promising start, given that the University does not typically divulge even the broadest piece of information about its investment practices. Eisgruber’s words suggest that he too sees investments in for-profit detention companies as problematic. However, such a casual statement by Eisgruber does not constrain the investment choices made by PRINCO. All that PPPD asks is that the University formalize Eisgruber’s promise, ref lecting an institutional rather than a merely individual moral and ethical stance against injustice. The Resources Committee, the Board of Trustees, and President Eisgruber must all agree upon a negative screen before the policy would be implemented by PRINCO. The University community has repeatedly demonstrated its support for divestment— it’s time that administrators get on board and place Princeton on the right side of history. Max Grear ’18 is a senior columnist as well as a lead organizer of the Princeton Private Prison Divest Coalition.
Letter to the Editor: Title IX office response to petition
I
am writing to acknowledge and express thanks for the petition regarding sexual misconduct published in The Daily Princetonian and forwarded to President Eisgruber and other University administrators on Nov. 20, 2017. I am responding on behalf of all the recipients. Like the signatories to the petition, the University recognizes the power imbalance inherent in the relationship between faculty and students, and is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination of any type, including sexual harassment or other violations of our sexual
misconduct policy. While I am not at liberty to discuss specific cases, the sexual misconduct policy is designed to ensure fairness, provide due process, and safeguard the interests of all participants in sexual misconduct proceedings, including witnesses, complainants, and respondents. We investigate complaints thoroughly, and we act promptly to stop misconduct and support victims. When a faculty member is found responsible for violating our sexual misconduct policy, penalties (including but not limited to warning, probation, loss of leave or
other privileges, suspension and/or dismissal) are imposed based on the facts of the case and the totality of the circumstances, and in recent years each of them has been applied when appropriate. Under our policy, once cases have been adjudicated and penalties have been assigned, reconsideration of outcomes or penalties is not possible outside of the formal appeal process. I appreciate that events on our campus and elsewhere have raised concerns about the University’s sexual misconduct policy and processes, including questions about their transparency. We have begun
a review of our policy and processes, and are considering whether changes are necessary in order to ensure that they are as transparent and fair as possible to all members of our community. To that end, the Faculty-Student Advisory Committee on Sexual Misconduct, which advises the President and Provost on policies, procedures, and other matters, is hosting a series of open meetings this week to answer questions and hear suggestions. I encourage all members of our community to attend one of those meetings and to provide input; suggestions and recommendations
can also be provided to the Committee via email (facultystudentcommittee@princeton.edu). We also are reviewing our training programs, and we hope you will share your suggestions and recommendations about those programs as well. The petition has been shared with the Faculty-Student Advisory Committee. I appreciate your concern for the well-being of our campus community. Sincerely, Michele Minter Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity
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Tuesday November 28, 2017
Sports
page 6
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Princeton preparing for rematch against Villanova By Chris Murphy associate sports editor
This Wednesday, Nov. 29 will be a double header for Princeton hoops as both men and women play at Jadwin Gym. The women will take the court first and be up against a team they became familiar with last season. After finishing in second place in both the Ivy League regular season and falling in the championship round of the Ivy League tournament, the Tigers were given a home game in the first round of the WNIT, where they would face fellow tri-state area college Villanova. Last season, the Tigers were upset in Jadwin 59-54, putting a sour end to an otherwise great season. In the defeat, the Tigers were unable to stop the Villanova starting five, who accounted for all but 6 points in the Wildcats win. Villanova was also able to contain then-freshman Bella Alarie last season as she was held to only 9 points, one of the lowest marks in her Tiger career.
On Wednesday, the Tigers hope to extract revenge on a team that cut short their seventh straight appearance in a postseason tournament. Princeton will have its chance, not just to extract revenge on Villanova, but on the exact lineup that burned the Tigers last season as all four key contributors in last year’s win are back for the Wildcats once again. While the Tigers don’t have everyone from last year, many of the matchups will remain the same for the WNIT game, so expect the Tigers to exploit what went well last season and try to cover up the weaknesses from a year ago. This game was a motivator for the Tigers throughout the offseason, as many of the returners felt that they did not end the season with a good performance. Simply put, the Tigers are hoping for a much better showing this year than they had last season against almost the identical team. Look for Princeton to play a much more up tem-
po game than we are used to seeing out of them as fast break points were very effective in the loss last season. Princeton will try to push the pace and dominate on the offensive glass; one and done chances last year for their offense really hurt them down the stretch of the low scoring affair. Villanova comes into this game undefeated with a hot 5-0 start. The winning streak includes a victory over the No. 11 ranked Duke Blue Devils on their home court. Princeton will be looking to slow down an offense that averages around 73 points per game in the young season while attempting to counter with an offense that has also been hovering around the 70 PPG mark. Expect this game to be a much higher scoring affair than the one last season. While still early in the year, this game comes a great opportunity for the Tigers to beat a notable opponent and put a good win on their resume that could prove to be critical come later this season.
COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Women’s basketball will match up against the Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Cannady leads basketball team in win against Farleigh Dickinson By David Xin head sports editor
COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Men’s basketball will host Lehigh in a doubleheader on Military Appreciation Night in Jadwin Gym.
Tweet of the Day “Princeton has six named to All-Region team #TigerUp” Princeton FH (@ TigerFH), field hockey
After facing tough opponents in a rocky start to their season, the men’s basketball team has managed to string together a pair of wins after an 83-76 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University. The Tigers started the game strong, fending off a surge from the Knights in the second half to grab their second win of the season. Princeton started the game on the right foot with a 10-6 early advantage. A 13-0 run, initiated by a threepointer from junior guard Devin Cannady, quickly cemented the Tigers’ upper hand. The Orange and Black would continue to build on the lead, gaining 27 more points before halftime. The Tigers would end the first half up 49-27. The Tigers continued much of the second half with a sizable advantage. The scoreline was an emphatic 73-53 with eight minutes remaining in the second half. However, the Knights refused to give up on the game, putting pressure on Princeton. A 20-4 run put Farleigh within four in the final minute. Clutch free throws bailed the Tigers out, ending the Knights’ comeback. The efficient offense would help Princeton hold off their opponents for a much-deserved win. The Tigers shot 66 percent from the field, the most efficient the Princeton squad
Stat of the Day
5 races
The Princeton women’s swimming and diving closed a five-race win streak to open its Ivy League season with a sweep of Cornell and Penn.
has ever shot under head coach Mitch Henderson. Cannady led all players with 22 points, shooting a perfect 6-6 from beyond the arc. Cannady’s six threepointers give him 159 for his career, moving him to eighth on Princeton’s all-time career list. Fellow junior guard Myles Stephens also put up a strong performance with 21 points, shooting 9 for 10 from the field and 75 percent overall. The Tigers are undoubtedly looking to build upon this momentum as they look to replicate last season’s successes. Last year, the Tigers swept the Ivy League, going 14-0 to claim the undisputed title. They continued their success to win the inaugural Ivy League Playoffs to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. While a heartbreaking loss would see Princeton exit the tournament in the first round, their performance left a deep impression among fans. However, the Tigers will have some adjustments to make. Princeton graduated six seniors last year, including Spencer Weisz and Steven Cook, both of whom played critical roles for the team on and off the court. Indeed, Princeton has experimented with three different starting lineups in its five games so far. The Tigers continue the season with a home game against Lehigh in Jadwin Gymnasium at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
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