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

["Douglas E. Fierberg" <>]

Our team is happy to write him on your (or anyone else’s) behalf, e.g. classic lawyer’s letter, insisting that he back off and comply with the law.  Should do the trick.

 

Obviously, at no charge . . . . .  J

 

Just let me know.

 

All the best.

 

Doug

Douglas Fierberg

Bode & Fierberg, LLP

1150 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Ninth Floor

Washington, D.C.  20036

202-828-4100

202-828-4130 (fax)

DCLawFirm (Skype)

www.bode.com

www.schoolviolencelaw.com

 

 

 

From: LB Klein [mailto:]
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2015 11:48 AM
To: Lauren R. Gibson;
Subject: Follow up RE: Chronicle of Higher Ed Article: Sexual Assault App

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

I hope that this messages finds you well.  I'm sending this message to this listserv on the urging of several colleagues with whom I shared my recent experiences.

 

I have been receiving some persistent and uncomfortable communications from Michael Lissack at WeConsent, an "affirmative consent app." These began after I replied to repeated unsolicited emails to me from his company. I asked to be removed from the list and expressed concern about their product. I then began to receive multiple replies from different addresses that disparaged and taunted me. These communications have escalated recently and have included phrases such as "big brother is watching you," based on him monitoring read receipts on the emails.  When he found out I had informed colleagues he was positioning their videos in his marketing materials out of context and without permission (and they asked they be taken down), he again escalated.

 

As I told Lissack directly, this course of conduct and the content of messages is deeply disturbing, particularly from an organization marketing a consent app. This is, of course, beyond the app, its marketing, and its advertising already being problematic. 

 

Other colleagues have mentioned concern about receiving unwanted and persistent communication from Lissack. I was contacted by a media outlet about my experiences with Lissack and his company, but I would likely only want to go public with this in solidarity with others.  Due to his tactics, I have truly been torn between sharing this publicly for some level of accountability and not wanting to be further targeted by him or to give him further attention.  This has brought up the question for me of what our responsibility is within our field to hold people like this accountable and, if so, how. I welcome any thoughts, suggestions, or shared experience on or off list. 

 

My best, 

LB

 

LB Klein, MSW | Educator & Consultant based in Atlanta, GA

Graduate Student, Program on Gender-Based Violence, University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs

Lead Trainer, Prevention Innovations Research Center, University of New Hampshire

314.578.8584 | | @LB_Klein | Linkedin

 

Prevention Innovations Research Center
University of New Hampshire
Website: Prevention Innovations Research Center
Twitter: @WePreventNow
Facebook: Prevention Innovations UNH

 

---

From:
To:
Subject: Re: Chronicle of Higher Ed Article: Sexual Assault App
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 13:00:05 +0000

Thanks for sending this out. Our Director of Athletics forwarded me an email from their sales team advertising it earlier and I told them I’d look into it. Then this conversation thread popped up-good timing! Their video on their website says that it’s only “$5 and no scandals”. They are definitely playing up the make sure none of your athletes get in trouble and kicked out of school. I will be sending him an email back saying I would not recommend this program.

 

Lauren R. Gibson

Director of Wellness & Prevention Education

Sexual Assault Response Coordinator

Washington College

Caroline House

410-778-7277

 

“We rise by lifting others.”-Robert Ingersoll

 

 

From: <Caramagno>, Denise <>
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 4:28 PM
To: LB Klein <>, "Hotvedt, Carmen" <>, "" <>
Subject: RE: Chronicle of Higher Ed Article: Sexual Assault App

 

I am disturbed! 

 

I did think the interviewer took an appropriate approach.  She challenged him.

 

Denise 

 

Denise Caramagno, M.A., M.A., MFTi

Confidential CARE Advocate, Office of Diversity and Outreach

University of California at San Francisco

Tel: (415) 502-8802  Cell: (415) 640-9080

 

http://diversity.ucsf.edu/

 

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

This email communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. Distribution, reproduction, or any other use of this transmission by any party other than the intended recipient is prohibited.

 

 

From: LB Klein []
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2015 11:49 AM
To: Hotvedt, Carmen;
Subject: RE: Chronicle of Higher Ed Article: Sexual Assault App

 

Is anyone else truly disturbed by this product as well as the Chronicle reporting on it? Here are some highlights for why I'm concerned this is circulating:

 

1)  "Most of these situations are about, let’s face it, people being sloppy with one another and deciding to engage in activities that have not been fully discussed." This does not jive with what we know about perpetration of sexual assault. I'm concerned that someone without real knowledge of the nature and dynamics of sexual violence is marketing a product to allegedly prevent it. 

2) Consent is not just about one "yes," it's about an ongoing series of yeses. Even if this were to be a remotely valid way to get consent from a partner before initiating sex, anyone involved should be able to withdraw consent at any time. 

3) This app and its developer don't seem to be interested in truly stopping sexual violence, holding perpetrators accountable, or supporting survivors. Concerned about a scandal within your athletic team or insert-another-group-here? There's an app for that!  Yikes. 

4) The victim-blaming and misogynistic concept that women typically "cry rape" because their feelings about a sexual encounter change the next day is all over the website for this app. This seems like more of a prevention of prosecution/accountability app for perpetrators, when perpetrators are already so rarely held accountable.

 

Also, don't read the comments.

 

LB Klein, MSW | Educator & Consultant based in Atlanta, GA

Graduate Student, Program on Gender-Based Violence, University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs

Lead Trainer, Prevention Innovations Research Center, University of New Hampshire

314.578.8584 | | @LB_Klein | Linkedin

 

Prevention Innovations Research Center
University of New Hampshire
Website: Prevention Innovations Research Center
Twitter: @WePreventNow
Facebook: Prevention Innovations UNH

 

---

From:
To:
Subject: FW: Chronicle of Higher Ed Article: Sexual Assault App
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:21:11 +0000

FYI

 

http://chronicle.com/article/When-It-Comes-to-Preventing/230823/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

 

 

 

Carmen Hotvedt
Assistant Director for Violence Prevention (EVOC)
University Health Services
UW-Madison

End Violence On Campus
EVOCChange.  EVOC Equality.  EVOCRespect.