But it was his questioning of the widely shared and often debated statistic that 1 in 5 women in college are sexually assaulted — it doesn’t serve “actual rape victims” to “overinflate” numbers, he said — and his rejection of the term “rape culture” that led to him being banned, he said.

“I am critical of the idea of a rape culture because it does not exist,” he wrote in a lengthy email to Savery explaining his perspectives that he has also posted online. “We live in a society that hates rape, but also hasn’t optimized the best way to handle rape. Changing the legal definition of rape is a slippery slope. If sexual assault becomes qualified as rape, what happens next? What else can we legally redefine to become rape? Why would we want to inflate the numbers of rape in our society?”

This... would be me in class, too, so I can sympathize.

Reed’s students reported the most sex crimes of all colleges and universities in the state of Oregon during 2010–2012 and ranked third in the number of reported assaults per 1,000 students in the country in 2012

Weeeell, that might have something to do with the school's education on the topic, or it might just be a really shady school, with all kinds of people pullin' shady shit. I imagine its probably not just one or the other, though.

“There are several survivors of sexual assault in our conference, and you have made them extremely uncomfortable with what they see as not only your undermining incidents of rape, but of also placing too much emphasis on men being unfairly charged with rape,” Savery wrote to True. “The entire conference without exception, men as well as women, feel that your presence makes them uncomfortable enough that they would rather not be there if you are there, and they have said that things you have said in our conference have made them so upset that they have difficulty concentrating in other classes. I, as conference leader, have to do what is best for the well-being of the entire class, and I am therefore banning you from conference for the remainder of the semester.”

That is probably the most spineless, 'because of other people's feelings', lack of protection for someone that pays for an education, that should challenge though, that I've ever heard. Sad.

“I simply questioned the statistics,” he said. “I understand [Savery] has to take care of his students, but I have to take care of my education.”

High five.

Ari Cohn at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education said the foundation was interested in investigating True’s case. “Banning a student from a course simply because he expressed views on a topic of classroom discussion that some disagree with or are made uncomfortable by is generally inappropriate,” Cohn said. “A college campus is precisely the place for students to grapple with ideas and develop critical thinking skills, often by challenging prevailing wisdom and subjecting their assumptions to rigorous testing.”

“That’s when he crossed the border from his right to have his own beliefs to harassment,” said Clara. She said that she never felt physically unsafe, but that she is a survivor of sexual assault and True’s comments made it hard for her to concentrate in class as well as other courses.

That's not harassment.

“In response to being respectfully asked to stop, he discussed [his views] more openly and more aggressively, and just disregarded people’s lived experiences,” she said. “He continued to argue with people who had expressed to him that they felt unsafe and uncomfortable. He said rape culture didn’t exist, but I feel like I live rape culture every day.”

Uhng.

So, I'm not unsympathetic to her troubles. Still, do we now live in a society where we value emotions and feelings over truth and objectivity, or at least potential truth and objectivity? I mean, personal experience is not fact, its anecdotal, and while important to the individual, that doesn't necessitate its truth.

Still, I recognize that personal experience, like being sexually assaulted, can make discussion of the issue difficult. I understand, even though I loathe, trigger warnings. I understand that some people have a hard time with the topic, and I also understand that the class is mandatory.

I don't know how to reconcile seeking truth, which I hold in the highest regard, with someone having emotional problems with discussing that truth, or attempting to discuss truth.

Other students on campus said they were happy that Savery had made a decision that benefited the other students in his class.

Yeay, go group think! :D

“I’m really comforted by the administrative response,” said Kate Hilts, a junior. “It’s really nice to know that my school supports survivors and listens when they say they don’t feel safe. Rape culture is indisputable and [True’s] words and actions are deeply upsetting. They’ve retraumatized and triggered survivors, and that seems antithetical to Reed culture.”

Rape culture isn't indisputable. I don't even. I am not a fan of this quoted individual's train of thought.

“I just want to bring attention to the fact that this happens on colleges,” he said. “Right now, going to college is a terrifying experience if you are male.”

It can be, particularly if you don't agree with everyone.

Of course, then we get into the comments and ho-lee-shit. No thank you. I'll take youtube comments, thanks. At least I know what I'm getting there - half trolls.