December 16, 2008
Dear Students,
It was with great concern that we learned last week that SLCanon on LiveJournal had again become an issue, this time with threats that constitute not only serious campus conduct infractions but also possible criminal actions. The College reported these threats to the Yonkers Police Department. The LiveJournal management itself decided that its own standards were being violated and removed the site.
Sarah Lawrence is a community that places a high value on freedom of speech. However, with this freedom comes great responsibility.
Many of these anonymous posts were offensive, degrading, slanderous, and extremely harmful to the individuals who were the subjects. We are saddened that some members of the Sarah Lawrence community tolerate and perpetuate this kind of language. We urge you to think about how your words affect other people--in this case, in destructive and painful ways.
There are two courses of action should such anonymous posts resurface elsewhere. We encourage any one who feels threatened to come forward and report it. Please call or email
Larry Hoffman, Director of Public Safety, 914-395-2575 / lhoffman@sarahlawrence.edu.
Secondly, the awful invective on any anonymous postings is combated by the Community’s refusal to read it or contribute. We urge you not to spread rumors and misinformation that are posted. Should the identity of the perpetrators involved in illegal or otherwise threatening communications become known, they will be subject, at a minimum, to disciplinary proceedings as set forth in the College’s Community standards.
We are joined by the Office of Student Affairs, General Committee, and the Student Senate in sharing these concerns.
Sincerely,
Karen Lawrence
President
Pauline Watts
Dean of the College
Al Green
Dean of Studies and Student Life
cc: Faculty
Staff
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A few thoughts:
- Karen Lawrence knows about Loranon. I mentioned it to her personally.
- Has she bothered to look it up?
- Isn't the entire point of this site to show that not all anonymity is "offensive, degrading, slanderous"?
- Is the attempt to attach all communication to a name a way to make us accountable as individuals, and not as a community?
- What of the culture of a place that would allow or disallow hate speech? Isn't it our duty to make hate speech socially inacceptable in any forum rather than outlawing the forum?
- Is the "great responsibility" of free speech individual or collective?
- I am disappointed in Karen for her lack of subtlety here. These questions are grave, but so is our self-expression--and it is our own job to police ourselves.
- What do y'all think?
Read on...
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