This week in rape culture

 

Just when I thought we might be turning a corner on addressing rape culture, we get a week like this:

Steubenville's football coach had his contract renewed: 

the city of Steubenville could have stood tall for its women and the men who cherish them and sent a strong message to its young people.

Instead, it has hunkered down, burnishing its reputation as a town that cares more about football than it does about the children it will launch into the world.

Forest Hills School District, outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is being sued for not only failing to report a sexual assault, but trying to talk a girl out of reporting it all:

The complaint asserts that in 2010, a high school girl was sexually assaulted in a soundproof band room at Forest Hills Central High School by a star player on the school’s basketball team. After one of her teachers notified the principal about the assault, he discouraged the student and her parents from filing charges. But because they were concerned that this student might attack other girls, the student and her parents filed a police report, and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department began a criminal investigation. In fact, two weeks later, another female student was sexually assaulted by the same attacker. Still, despite an obligation under Title IX to investigate the assault and protect the student, the high school officials never interviewed the girl or her parents again, failed to conduct an investigation, and for two and a half weeks left the attacker in one of her classes. During this time, the girl sat in the guidance counselor’s office rather than be in class with the student who assaulted her and missed the benefit of instruction.

 Another rape in India is making headlines. The survivor is 5-years-old. FIVE FUCKING YEARS OLD!

Protests that began on Friday grew more intense after video footage showed a policeman slapping a woman protester, and following reports that investigators had offered the victim's family 2,000 rupees ($37) not to file a case.

I just don't have the energy to write something insightful about any of these stories. Rather, just posting here for you to read. What really makes me sad is that someone has to tell the girl in the photo that her hometown actually thinks football is more important than her.