Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Mongtin, Somchit S [D S O]" <>]

I would not recommend bringing Adam Ritz to campus. The Greek Community at Minnesota State University, Mankato brought him in 2011. He told the story of how after a night of drinking, he came home and raped a woman and went to jail. He blamed it on the alcohol. His presentation focused on how alcohol will impair your judgement and ruin your life. He didn't focus on the sexual assault or acknowledged that he raped a woman. His message was to teach men to drink smart, and not do something dumb to get you in jail. His powerpoint presentation of "criminals" were all men of color and he said made sure to let the audience know that he never thought he would be among one of them. When an audience member asked why all the men in his powerpoint were men of color, he said he never even noticed and couldn't think of a white man who went to jail. When the audience helped list some names,  he silenced them and asked us to save our questions until the end of the presentation. Then at the end, Adam changed his mind and did not take any questions. The audience was outraged and weren't given time to process the information. 

A story about the sexual assault: http://www.wthr.com/story/1843004/disc-jockey-gets-prison-time

You can google "Adam Ritz rape" for more stories. 

Students were outraged. They created a Facebook group called "Response to Adam Ritz."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/take.back.voice/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Here is text from one of the Facebook posts from notes of a student:

 

Issues with the Presentation            

1. The points made in the presentation focused on consequences for drinking, rather than the people hurt.
   1. “Forget the student”- this disregards the life that was lost. Never mind that a young person died, the professor will now be in jail and will lose their job.
   2. The points made throughout lacked personal responsibility.
2. He defended himself several times for the incident
   1. He was sure to point out that he was charged with sexual assault, NOT rape.
   2. He brought up the news article that said babysitter, which he said implied that he had sex with a 12 or 13 year old.
   3. He brought up his sex offender counseling and how on one side was a man who had sex with his 9 year old daughter, on the other a man who got drunk and gave his 12 year old nephew oral sex.
3. He listed the things that he lost, never once discussing what the woman lost
   1. He lost his family, job and reputation… yet he made a choice.
   2. She lost her scholarship, education, job and security… she had no choice
4. He showed no genuine remorse
   1. Despite his outward show of sadness, there was little genuine regret for hurting his victim, rather there was a lot of regret for the consequences he now faces.
   2. Making a profit off of this story and giving nothing back to the victim, or other organizations/ shelters helping sexually assaulted women is cause for reflection. Even volunteering would show remorse for his actions.
   3. Though he tells what happened, he fails to actually own up. Alcohol does not make this okay or better. Many men get shit faced drunk, they don’t rape.

 

Avoiding Questions:

Whether or his message has to do with the dangers of alcohol or with the consequences of sexual assault, he is a convicted sex offender. He tells his story of sexual assault and to relate that to alcohol does not make it okay to avoid such an emotional issue. You never know whom you might trigger in the room, and to leave them cut off abruptly can have serious consequences. Emotions were high and several people had questions that they had worked up the courage to ask; it is not easy to announce to a room that you are a survivor of sexual assault.

 

Left looking for support

After the presentation when it was announced that there would be no question and answer as people were lead to believe, it was obvious that many people were very upset. Those who brought the speaker were unwilling to listen and help to deal with the many emotions.

 

Personal

As a victim, I was once again made voiceless. To be cut off from expressing my opinions and having the opportunity to be heard, once again being told that I cannot have a voice brought back a lot of emotions. These are emotions no person has a right to make me or anyone else feel. It was obvious in the room the line drawn between the women and men in the audience.

Som

On May 27, 2014, at 6:41 PM, "Megan Elizabeth Selheim" <> wrote:

Has anyone heard of Adam Ritz? Our Athletics department wants to bring him for a sexual assault presentation, but everything I’m finding on him seems focused on alcohol use.

 

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Megan Selheim

STOP Violence Program Coordinator

Dean of Students Office

Dept. 3135, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie WY 82071-2000

118 Knight Hall

307-766-3296

www.uwyo.edu/stop