Another college campus, more pitchfork justice

Then came the statement that clearly sank Jennings’s presidency (he may still have tenure as a professor): “I’m saying this because, first and foremost, don’t put yourself in a situation that would cause you to be trying to explain something that really needs no explanation, had you not put yourself in that situation.”

When the speech excerpt appeared on YouTube, it created an uproar. Marybeth Gasman, a University of Pennsylvania education professor, said it showed that “the president blames young women for being raped by saying that when they have sex with someone and regret the act, they then create a story [of rape] to explain it.” Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC demanded that Jennings “be held accountable for encouraging survivors to be silent, for telling them they would not be believed, that they would be subjected to your scrutiny and disrespect.”

Jennings responded with a letter to all Lincoln students in which he apologized “for my choice of words” and said he “intended to emphasize personal responsibility and mutual respect.”