University of Central Missouri Blames Gay Student for His Own Knife Attack
by Will Kohler
Missouri many be the "show me state", but
all that the University of Central Missouri is showing is its own
internal homophobia and its lack of understanding and care of its LGBT
students as it is blaming an 18-year old student who was threatened with
a knife by his new school-assigned college roommate because he was gay
for it happening..
18
year old Alex Worthley, an openly gay freshman at University of Central
Missouri was given a dorm roommate who does not like gay people, and
asked specifically not be assigned to a gay roommate, but UCM didn't
care and one night when Worthley asked him to turn the volume of his
music down, he threatened him with a knife.
He was like, ‘I do have a knife and I’ll use it if I have to,’” Worthley told WDAF TV news.
Worthley
reported the incident, and others that had happened in the past to
school authorities. Finally UCM gave the two students different rooms,
but also gave Worthley a letter of discipline stating that he was
partially to blame.
"There
seems to be a strong possibility that some of your own actions and
comments were part of the reason this situation escalated from jesting
to threatening,”
Worthley was shocked when he received a letter of discipline saying it “Made it feel like because I’m gay that it was my fault that those threats were made.”
When
asked to comment about the pairing of the two freshmen and the letter
of discipline UCM spokesman Jeff Murphy issued the following statement:
“Consistent with university policy, the Office of Student Housing does not make room assignments or reassignments based upon sexual orientation, race or other university protected status.”“The university cannot comment on specific details regarding a conflict between students, but UCM takes seriously the process in handling such situations and in addressing student concerns, including communication procedures with those involved. We are confident in our existing procedures, but will review this matter, with a goal to make certain there is no misunderstanding about the roles everyone at the university plays in ensuring a positive, supportive campus environment.”
No comments:
Post a Comment