Stockton Record: "University of the Pacific official's comments blasted"

June 4, 2009 |
Valor

Last week a University of the Pacific spokesperson made a statement differentiating “date rape” and “outright rape.” Many advocates for sexual-assault victims expressed their dismay with the spokespersons’ comments. Joelle Gomez, the Director of the Women’s Center of San Joaquin said:

Call it date rape, acquaintance rape. Rape is rape. It shouldn’t be minimized the way it was. It’s a gross and uneducated viewpoint. You don’t differentiate.”

Robert Coombs, Director of Public Affairs for California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said “he was familiar with the Pacific controversy. Coombs said the university’s response shows it is unprepared to deal with sexual assault.”
“I think it’s an indicator of how they’re going to approach that case,” Coombs said. “I think that the administration sends signals, whether overtly or covertly, about how they value victims of sexual assault.”
Click here to continue reading the news article.