The University of Ottawa (U of O) made national headlines when a sexually violent conversation between student officials was posted online.
The comments, some by elected individuals, regarding student union president Anne-Marie Roy were disturbing.
“Someone punish her with their shaft,” Alex Larochelle wrote.
“If you fuck Anne-Marie, I will definitely buy you a beer,” wrote Pat Marquis.
But ever since these comments began garnering so much attention, the response by those who made them has been problematic, if not equally as bad.
“Nothing in my client’s statements are misogynistic, ‘slut-shaming’, or refer to ‘rape,’” wrote Larochelle’s lawyer Michael D. Swindley, in a letter sent to the blogger who exposed the comments, the CBC reported.
Larochelle resigned from his position as vice-president (social commissioner) for the Criminology Students’ Association, mentioning his comments were meant to stay private.
Marquis, who resigned from his post as vice-president (social) on the student union, cited feeling unsafe due to receiving hate mail and threats as one of his reasons for stepping down.
Whether the comments were private or not, and whether those who posted such inappropriate remarks are now feeling hurt by the public’s response, are not at the core of the issue.
The comments should never have been made and those responsible now only have themselves to blame for the fallout. They should step up and take complete responsibility for what they said, and apologize without any reservation.
