Police probe 'sex assault' after naked fancy dress party at Yale UniversityBy DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:22 PM on 4th March 2011
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Police are investigating a possible sexual assault during a naked party at Yale University, it was reported today.
Around 50 students were said to have attended the 'rowdy' off-campus event on February 19, where party goers were asked to turn up in fancy dress before 'disrobing' and allegedly 'force-fed' alcohol.
The college, where students pay up to $50,000 a year to attend, begun the investigation after several attendees were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Party: Party goers at the Pundits party were allegedly told to 'disrobe' and were then forced to kiss each other. The gender of the alleged sexual assault victim is unknown
It was reported by college newspaper the Yale Daily News, that the party was run by senior prank society, the Pundits.
According to party goers interviewed by the paper, there was an atmosphere of 'forced and heavy drinking' at the Park street address.
A student recalled a member of the Pundits forcing attendees to kiss each other and that another Pundit forced a male friend’s face onto another’s penis.
The gender of the alleged victim of sexual assault is not clear, nor is the gender make up of the party.
One student who spoke to the paper said: 'The biggest problem, and what was dis-inhibiting people, was that they were force-feeding people alcohol and they couldn’t say no because of the power dynamic.'
Yale has a number of long-standing college societies, including the notorious Skull and Bones.
Society: the infamous Skull and Bones society is one of many long standing Yale University clubs
Past members are rumoured to have included former presidents George H. W. Bush, his son, George W. Bush and the latter's 2004 Presidential opponent, Senator John Kerry.
Yale police department chief Ronnell Higgins sent an e-mail to the student body Monday night warning of a, 'possible sexual assault involving Yale undergraduates that occurred at an off campus party on 2/19.'
In an email to the paper, Associate Vice President for Administration Janet Lindner said: 'I assure you that Yale has no tolerance for sexual intimidation or assault.'
Other students who were at the party said despite the heavy drinking involved, they did not see anything that looked like sexual assault.
One junior student said: 'I was in the main room and the kitchen and hallways, and I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary or anything abusive.
'Obviously it’s a Pundits party so it’s rowdy by nature, but other than that I didn’t see anything go down.
'I was pretty shocked to hear about [the allegations] the next day.'
Predictably, college message boards have been inundated with comments about the event.
Binge: The accusations of sexual assault at the Pundit's party have sparked fierce debate on internet message boards.
One user, going under the name b12, said that no one at the event was forced to disrobe.
They said: 'The invitation clearly stated the intent of the party, and several who didn't want to be naked left at midnight when gears shifted.'
'That said, the party was not civilised, and there were some reprehensible actions, but all were there by their own volition, drawn by a mutual desire to join the group that is now being criticised.'
Replying to b12's post, another user called alsoanon said: 'Look, I was there, I don't want the pundits to get in trouble either.
'But there's no point in trying to make it seem like some harmless fun time where all the pundits sobered us up helpfully all night long.'
On another Ivy league blog 'Kurt' wrote:'This is why people hate the Ivy League.
'Even if the worst stories about the Pundits are true, the same and sometimes worse goes on at Frats all over the country (anti-hazing policies notwithstanding).
'So such behavior unites rather than divides Yale et al. from the rest of this country's colleges and universities. The only real difference is that people don't expect 'refined' Ivy League students behave like drunken jocks.'
It is believed the party was part of a 'tapping' initiation ceremony for the Pundits society.
In recent years University officials have come down hard on so-called 'hazing' rituals.
Yale College Dean Mary Miller said: 'I am deeply disturbed by initial reports of heavy drinking by underage students in a context that could be construed as hazing.
'Yale College does not tolerate hazing or intimidation: I’m well aware that a feature of hazing is that it can be difficult for someone victimized by it to come forward.'
(Source:dailymail.co.uk)
Last updated at 11:22 PM on 4th March 2011
================================================
Police are investigating a possible sexual assault during a naked party at Yale University, it was reported today.
Around 50 students were said to have attended the 'rowdy' off-campus event on February 19, where party goers were asked to turn up in fancy dress before 'disrobing' and allegedly 'force-fed' alcohol.
The college, where students pay up to $50,000 a year to attend, begun the investigation after several attendees were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Party: Party goers at the Pundits party were allegedly told to 'disrobe' and were then forced to kiss each other. The gender of the alleged sexual assault victim is unknown
It was reported by college newspaper the Yale Daily News, that the party was run by senior prank society, the Pundits.
According to party goers interviewed by the paper, there was an atmosphere of 'forced and heavy drinking' at the Park street address.
A student recalled a member of the Pundits forcing attendees to kiss each other and that another Pundit forced a male friend’s face onto another’s penis.
The gender of the alleged victim of sexual assault is not clear, nor is the gender make up of the party.
One student who spoke to the paper said: 'The biggest problem, and what was dis-inhibiting people, was that they were force-feeding people alcohol and they couldn’t say no because of the power dynamic.'
Yale has a number of long-standing college societies, including the notorious Skull and Bones.
Society: the infamous Skull and Bones society is one of many long standing Yale University clubs
Past members are rumoured to have included former presidents George H. W. Bush, his son, George W. Bush and the latter's 2004 Presidential opponent, Senator John Kerry.
Yale police department chief Ronnell Higgins sent an e-mail to the student body Monday night warning of a, 'possible sexual assault involving Yale undergraduates that occurred at an off campus party on 2/19.'
In an email to the paper, Associate Vice President for Administration Janet Lindner said: 'I assure you that Yale has no tolerance for sexual intimidation or assault.'
Other students who were at the party said despite the heavy drinking involved, they did not see anything that looked like sexual assault.
One junior student said: 'I was in the main room and the kitchen and hallways, and I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary or anything abusive.
'Obviously it’s a Pundits party so it’s rowdy by nature, but other than that I didn’t see anything go down.
'I was pretty shocked to hear about [the allegations] the next day.'
Predictably, college message boards have been inundated with comments about the event.
Binge: The accusations of sexual assault at the Pundit's party have sparked fierce debate on internet message boards.
One user, going under the name b12, said that no one at the event was forced to disrobe.
They said: 'The invitation clearly stated the intent of the party, and several who didn't want to be naked left at midnight when gears shifted.'
'That said, the party was not civilised, and there were some reprehensible actions, but all were there by their own volition, drawn by a mutual desire to join the group that is now being criticised.'
Replying to b12's post, another user called alsoanon said: 'Look, I was there, I don't want the pundits to get in trouble either.
'But there's no point in trying to make it seem like some harmless fun time where all the pundits sobered us up helpfully all night long.'
On another Ivy league blog 'Kurt' wrote:'This is why people hate the Ivy League.
'Even if the worst stories about the Pundits are true, the same and sometimes worse goes on at Frats all over the country (anti-hazing policies notwithstanding).
'So such behavior unites rather than divides Yale et al. from the rest of this country's colleges and universities. The only real difference is that people don't expect 'refined' Ivy League students behave like drunken jocks.'
It is believed the party was part of a 'tapping' initiation ceremony for the Pundits society.
In recent years University officials have come down hard on so-called 'hazing' rituals.
Yale College Dean Mary Miller said: 'I am deeply disturbed by initial reports of heavy drinking by underage students in a context that could be construed as hazing.
'Yale College does not tolerate hazing or intimidation: I’m well aware that a feature of hazing is that it can be difficult for someone victimized by it to come forward.'
(Source:dailymail.co.uk)
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