A heartfelt warning
I'm unsure of how widespread this tragedy is at UT or whether or not students are aware of this highly traumatic problem in college campuses, but I hope that this letter will find its way into The Daily Texan, if only for the sake of other students' emotional and physical well-being and safety. For my own safety, I would rather not include my name or even my major; however, I can tell you that I am a former UT student who can only hope that the tragedy, pain and suffering that has continued to torment me for more than a year will not happen to any other fellow student.
I was and am still being tormented by a former professor who was recently fired from UT. In the time that I have known this professor, his deceit, manipulations, facade of warmth and guise of friendship has led to unimaginable tragedies that have befallen me, and I'm sure quite a few other female students who were unfortunate enough to trust this man and allow him into their lives. This professor essentially used his power and authority as a professor to enter his students' personal lives and eventually take advantage of their trust.
Rape. Sexual Harassment. Threats. Molestation. Manipulations based on power and privilege. It sounds like something that could only happen in a movie, but it happened to me, and even after I reported him to the Dean of Students while seeking semester-long therapy to cope with my ongoing confusion, pain and depression, I am still suffering from the effects of my experiences with this professor. Though I was told that he would no longer be able to contact my friends, family and I or teach at UT, he still continues to harass my family and me through e-mail. Moreover, my best friend, who was a student of his this past fall, also continues to receive phone calls from him. He seems to have no sense of reality or morality and clearly sees nothing wrong with his actions. Even after he was fired, he seems to have absolutely no idea as to what he did wrong. All I wish for is a new beginning, a fresh slate to start my new life, but it's very difficult to move on from such a painful period, especially when the tormentor continues to contact me.
When you're young, your parents never warn you to distrust your friends, your preacher or your teacher. They just remind you to not talk to strangers, be wary of bad guys. But they don't ever tell you who those bad guys are. The more you go through traumatic and stressful situations in life, the more you realize that nothing is black and white and that bad people can come in many shapes and forms, from your supposed mentor, teacher, professor, friend or preacher. I was able to keep this teacher from ever teaching again on our beloved campus, but that can only stop one person from tormenting others in the future, and I realized after my experiences with the Dean of Students office at UT that they could only do so much and that the rest is up to you. After I graduated, it was as if my case was "closed" to my therapist and the Dean of Students.
The effects of such painful experiences don't just stop after graduation; they can continue to haunt you for the rest of your life. Only you can take care of yourself. Only you can watch out for yourself. In the end, no one else gives a damn.
So please, to all my beloved fellow students, I hope that if you learn anything from my story, it is to be alert. Protect yourself and stay wary of professors who seem "too good to be true." Like ads for diet pills, when it seems too good to be true, it usually is. I hope that my letter will get this issue out into the open and make students more aware of how real this situation is and how to protect yourself from being manipulated and taken advantage of by anyone, even a presumed friend or teacher.
Anonymous
Editor's note: The Daily Texan respects the anonymity of all parties mentioned in this letter and values the insight this former student has to offer. Linda Millstone, associate vice president for Institutional Equity and Workforce Diversity, confirmed that she is aware of this case and that the professor mentioned in this letter is no longer employed by the University. She stressed that any student who encounters a situation such as this should seek help from University resources such as the Counseling and Mental Health Center or Office of the Dean of Students. The Counseling and Mental Health Center abides by confidentiality restrictions and will only discuss the matter with a release from the student. The Office of the Dean of Students can provide intake and informal resolutions. Equal Opportunity Services provides intake and both informal and formal complaint resolution.
A Mark of irrationality
Mark Phillips' lack of rationale displayed in "Earnest hypocrisy," The Firing Line (March 18) disturbs me. Conservative Christians have never coordinated airplane attacks on buildings or blown up hundreds of people in town markets. One thing they did manage to do was write a document that outlined a form of government that gave rise to the greatest nation the world has ever seen. I'm pretty sure you've never read it, so I'll give you the title: It's called the U.S. Constitution.
Also, the God of Abraham was not the god of Muhammad. Allah and Jesus are not the same. Fundamentalist Islam is a doctrine of hate while Fundamentalist Christianity is a doctrine of love and forgiveness of sin. Unlike the Quran (which speaks of slashing the throats of "infidels" in the streets), the Bible teaches Christians to love thy neighbor as thyself.
Your other line of argument concerning McCain's foreign policy further displays your naivete when it comes to fighting terrorism. All who say that we shouldn't have gone to Iraq and Afghanistan are really saying that the torture, rape and genocide perpetrated by Saddam Hussein and coupled with the radical theology of hate preached by Osama Bin Laden doesn't bother them enough to take action. I find this indifference to human suffering to be morally repugnant and totally inexcusable.
Edward C. Oden IV Government sophomore
Be the first to comment on this article!