Rejecting silence

Rejecting silence

In the report dated March 17, 2022, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois stated the following: “Upon consideration of the record from the hearing and the extensive materials submitted prior thereto … it is the decision of the Board that Prof. Schewe be dismissed from the University of Illinois and, further, that such dismissal shall be effective immediately.”

The month of April is observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A campaign led by survivors, educators, and advocates alike for over twenty years, every day of the month is spent educating and bringing awareness to the myriad ways that institutions, including academic ones, foster, thrive on, and disguise uneven power dynamics that produce sexual harm and trauma. Drawing from the experiences, research, and resources compiled by organizations and individuals alike, SAAM activities promote strategies for preventing gender-based violence and for repairing the harm done to survivors.

I began with the quote from the Board of Trustees’ report because something rare—seismic even—has happened at the University of Illinois regarding sexual misconduct that needs to be talked about. Both faculty and administration agreed that Paul Schewe be dismissed for numerous instances of sexual misconduct and his tenure revoked immediately (the document is worth reading, if you have not already done so). If the possibility of invoking Article X of the university statutes seemed nearly impossible before July 10, 2020, when Chancellor Amiridis filed the statement outlining charges for dismissal, we now know that it is never really out of reach. What seems to have made the difference in this case is the breadth and weight of the evidence and the will of the various parties to act on that evidence to produce a kind of justice that is especially meaningful within academic contexts.

The idea that tenured faculty members are untouchable, especially those who sexually harass and abuse graduate students, staff, and even other faculty members, carries incredible weight inside and outside of academia. Silence comes to feel as if it is the only possible response to harm, especially if one is a survivor. We know that silence—especially of those who witness and do nothing—allows the abuse to fester and gives power to the lie that the person being abused must somehow enjoy and accept the harmful behavior directed at them. Silences encourage other would-be abusers and promise them protection ad infinitum. Silences allow bystanders to claim innocence and to believe they are uncontaminated by the violence. In light of this decision to fire a tenured faculty member who has been found “grossly neglectful of his duties” regarding his interactions with students, we should consider what it means for silence to have dwelled among us for so long. I certainly hope this is a signal that our university community is rejecting silence as a response to sexual misconduct.

During SAAM, we celebrate the efforts to break silences and to expose the violence wherever it is located. I think it bears remembering that the Board of Trustees’ decision is the outcome of a multi-year process that began with the complaints of graduate students. Graduate students. A group that is uniquely vulnerable in the academic hierarchy and yet who are told in every possible way that their best option is always to remain silent and to accept harm because their funding present and career future depend on such. Just recall the recent stories about the situation at Harvard University. Despite the widespread encouragement of silence and the fears of being punished for speaking up, UIC students chose to reveal what had happened to them and to ask that the institution take the situation seriously. An external investigation, along with the support of UIC faculty and the leadership of Chancellor Amiridis, provided the Board of Trustees with evidence that could not be ignored any longer. Undoubtedly, this is a win for all present and past graduate students who were made to feel that the harassment is their fault and a necessary part of their training. For faculty members who are concerned that the Board of Trustees did not choose the more typical pathway—encourage early retirement or administrative leave—a I think the lesson is clear. The evidence laid out a patten of misconduct that could not be minimized or ignored. There are lines that should not ever be crossed by a faculty member. UIC’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure (CAFT) affirms this, noting that it is the responsibility of the faculty member to establish, maintain, monitor, and enforce those boundaries. Having job protection does not supersede this core responsibility and expectation of faculty members.

I hope that faculty members, department heads, and administrative staff are using this case as an opportunity to reflect and to talk with their peers about how boundaries matter in healthy and productive relationships with graduate students. I also hope that they are thinking about repair—restoring and rebuilding relationships of trust and cultivating a sense of belonging in departments to make it unlikely that the harm happens there, or again. I especially encourage graduate and professional students at the University of Illinois (and elsewhere) to keep talking about this case, show support and care for each other, figure out how to speak up about other harmful situations, and be creative about ways they can continue to advocate for fair treatment and adequate protection at the university.

If you are interested in SAAM events at UIC, be sure to check these out:

1. Friday, April 8: A Breathing Room conversation, “We Can All Be Advocates,” led by Dr. Kelly Maginot, CAN’s confidential advocate. Drop in to find out how to advocate for the survivors in your life while not forgetting about your own safety and wellness. Leave with an expanded toolkit of strategies, information, and campus and community resources for advocacy and healing. Come as you are—no prior experience or knowledge required!
2. Monday, April 18: Find our mighty student team on the east campus quad as they host Sex & Chocolate, an outdoor booth to play trivia, learn about healthy sexual practices, and leave with free treats and contraceptives!
3. Thursday, April 21: UIC’s CAN, Disability Cultural Center, and Dialogue Initiative jointly present a conversation about The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. Come to hear about how to center radical self-love as a tool for dismantling oppressive violent systems. Stay to learn about how we can reclaim joy in our bodies; unlearn body shame; and heal from ableism, racism, and gender oppression.
4. Wednesday, April 27 is DENIM DAY. The entire campus is invited to join WLRC, Women in Computer Science, Society for Women Engineers, and Women in Engineering Programs for an evening of crafts and conversation in observation of this day of awareness about sexual assault and showing support for survivors.

Take care of yourself and each other,

Natalie Bennett