this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2026
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Today I Learned

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Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz, 21, says she was raped in her own bed at the beginning of her sophomore year. This week, two years after the alleged assault, Sulkowicz, a visual-arts major, has made a promise to carry her mattress around campus every day as part of her senior thesis. It is, she says, a symbol of the burden sexual-assault survivors carry with them every day.

“The act of carrying the mattress from inside my room out into the light has mirrored the way my life has changed, as I’ve brought my personal story out into the light,” Sulkowicz told TIME. “This project is a way to heal one of the most difficult things that happened to me. As I will build muscle and get stronger, hopefully I will also build emotional strength.”

Sulkowicz started the performance-art project on Tuesday, and she said she is determined to continue carrying the mattress wherever she goes — to class, the library, the gym — as long as her alleged rapist is still on campus. That means her project could last until graduation day in May 2015 — unless her alleged assailant is either expelled or chooses to leave the school. Last year, Sulkowicz and two other women reported the same person to the university. All three cases were dismissed.

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[–] cantstopthesignal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Getting fired is life changing yet we accept that we could be fired at any time for no reason here in the US. Protections against getting arbitrarily kicked out of a private university would require legislation. Right now that's a risk you assume when you go to a private institution versus a public one.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 8 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

That is also a problem. But getting kicked out of university for supposed rape when you’re innocent is a life sentence. No decent job will ever hire you.

The fact that this shit happens all the time doesn’t mean you have to normalise it. It’s not normal.

[–] DioramaOfShit@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Actually it's a pre requisite for being a politician or clergy member.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

Earns you a golden toilet even

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works -2 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

But getting kicked out of university for supposed rape when you’re innocent is a life sentence.

What do you think having to drop out of University because of the trauma of being raped does to a person?

[–] Womble@piefed.world 6 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

So two wrongs make a right? This person had their life horribly disrupted for reason A so an unrelated person should have their life horribly disrupted for reason B?

People should not be subject to arbitrary harm from others and we should be against all forms of it, whether that's sexual assault, economic coercion or lack of due process.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

lack of due process.

When universities hide evidence, don't report to authorities, and otherwise dodge investigating rape accusations, then people aren't going to trust when they exonerate these men.

This is on the system that protects these rapists.

[–] teuniac_@lemmy.world 6 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Due process is also a system that can make things like racism, sexism, nepotism harder. Also outside of universities people often feel like the legal system protects offenders, but it in a well functioning system it also protects them. After all, without due process, rape victims themselves can also be expelled by universities.

And when a legal system doesn't work, it needs fixing. People fought hard for legal protections to put in place in the first place.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago

Over 90% of perpetrators of sexual assault and rape never see the inside of a courtroom.

It needs fixing.

[–] Womble@piefed.world 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I don't know about this case, if that is true then its terrible and he should have been arrested, convicted and thrown out of the university. But the larger point stands, denying some people of due process because others are harmed in other ways is not something to strive for.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

The rape victims at these universities deserve due process as well. As in a legit investigation and not hiding of evidence to protect these men.

[–] Womble@piefed.world 4 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Absolutely, I haven't seen anyone in this thread say anything suggesting otherwise, everyone deserves that. But that means not throwing people out of a university without evidence.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works -2 points 20 hours ago

Universities don’t throw people out because they hide the evidence

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Obviously being raped is worse. I’m not trying to start a competition or shouting match here.

My point is solely and entirely about the basic human right of due process: anyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty, no matter the gender or crime. That doesn’t mean don’t believe the accuser, but it means really take the charges seriously, investigate the crime to the best of your system’s abilities and if after all that there is insufficient evidence, there should be no conviction. Not by the justice system or the university. If he is guilty, as with any other crime, the system has failed. But until there is some major breakthrough, this is the best system we have.

As a more general point: the US is already falling into a society of lawlessness. Now you don’t have to go all Michelle Obama “When they go low, we go high” but at least don’t play their hand by inciting more lawlessness. I really don’t think you will win that war…

No, innocent until proven guilty is only the bar for the government to lock you up in a cage. It's impossible for anyone to live their life using that standard.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 0 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

But until there is some major breakthrough, this is the best system we have.

Not when universities have the ability to hide evidence and obfuscate real investigations in order to protect these men. Which they have done time and time again.

This is not the best system we have. We can't even get the police to process rape kits.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Then fight for a better system, like I said, but don’t incite lawlessness or start an argument with the one person advocating for due process.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Why do you think these stories are getting such traction right now?

These investigations were corrupt.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 0 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Then reinvestigate and improve the system, but don’t let yourself fade into even more lawlessness. Like I said before, this is an arms race you will not win against the likes of Trump and his cronies. They will always one-up you in ways your own consciousness won’t even let you imagine.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works -1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Then reinvestigate and improve the system, but don’t let yourself fade into even more lawlessness.

What the fuck do you think we're doing when we talk openly about these things with righteous anger? What the fuck do you think we're doing when we demand that universities no longer sweep these accusations aside?

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world -1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Geez Velma, calm the fuck down please. What is it with you trying to get into an argument with whoever you can? Why are you even arguing with someone who wants the same thing you do?

Digging up every old case and publicly shaming the alleged perpetrators is, and will always be the definition of lawless. You’re simply not a judge. You don’t know the facts nor the evidence.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Public pressure can do wonders for making change.

Geez, Photonic, maybe if more people pushed back on some of the absolute horrid takes I've seen around, I wouldn't make it a point to be so outspoken.

Oh, it's your creepy ass again:

"What’s this then, Velma? Literally the next day I find you on the music community raging about pedophilia? The comment was supposed to be a sarcastic criticism about how you’re using the MAGA playbook to discredit politicians outside the US. You weren’t supposed to be taking notes… "'

Yeah I can continue to not give any of your opinions weight. Thanks!

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world -1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

I am pushing back on your horrid take on lawlessness. If you think my take on advocating for due process is horrid I don’t know what to tell you. (I do, but you’ve gotten worked up enough already).

your creepy ass again

I left one public comment in a public forum and never talked to you again. Please explain in detail how that is creepy.

I can continue to not give any of your opinions weight.

You could, but it wouldn’t make you any better for it. And you really need some better.

[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 0 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

It was not one comment and you followed me along multiple posts.

Cry harder.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 0 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Followed? Come on, really? I saw one comment that was literally about me, and one the next day in a community I frequent because I saw you doing the exact thing I said you were doing to do.

Two posts, two different days. Then I never talked to you again until you replied to my comment here.

You really are a weird one. I’m starting to feel some tears here indeed, but not from sadness that’s for sure 😂