Purdue University Staff Member Threatens to Rape Pro-Life Activist's Wife, Daughter and Great-Grandmother
A pro-abortion staff member at Purdue University has allegedly threatened to rape pro-life women in an online comment to an article posted by the pro-life website Live Action News. Following reports of the staff member's comment, the Indiana school is now investigating the claims.
After members of the Purdue Students for Life organization posted flyers around campus last week to bring awareness to the extremely high number of abortions in the African-American community, the group faced backlash from the campus community for putting up the posters during Black History Month.
Jamie Newman, who works in Purdue's Visual and Performing Arts Department as a piano accompanist for the Division of Dance, took to Facebook to voice his outrage with the pro-life group's messaging around the West Lafayette campus.
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In a comment in response to a Feb. 3 post on the Purdue Students for Life Facebook page, Newman called the pro-lifers "vile, racist idiots" and suggested that they were either "embarrassingly dumb or simply stupid."
"You folks are vile, racist idiots, who richly deserve all the opprobrium that will be heaped on you as a result of this unbelievably thoughtless, stupid escapade," Newman wrote, according to a screengrab posted on StudentsforLife.org. "And that you should have pulled this stunt at the beginning of Black History Month suggests that you are epically clueless or profoundly malicious. So which is [it] — embarrassingly dumb or simply evil?"
As many posters on the Internet feel safer posting harsh comments online than they would normally tell someone in person, Newman's online outrage toward the pro-life movement has manifested in even more disturbing comments.
Newman allegedly took issue with an article posted to Live Action News, the media arm of the the pro-life organization Live Action. According to screengrabs obtained by Campus Reform, Newman took to his "jamiegnewman" Disqus account and allegedly threatened to rape the wife, daughter and even great-grandmother of a pro-life commenter on the site.
In response to a comment by another user, presumably who asked Newman to clarify his rape intentions, Newman made his intentions clear.
"Oh, I'm sorry. So, let me make my intentions quite explicit: I did in fact offer to rape Tom's wife/daughter/great grandmother. Free of charge, even. I'm generous that way," Newman reportedly wrote. "Here's the number for the West Lafayette Police Department: 765-775-5500. Here's the number for the local FBI office: 765-435-5619. Drop that dime! I could strike at any minute. *giggles* (like a girl)."
As it is unclear whether or not Newman's comments were meant to just be sarcastic in a dark way or a threat, Newman did not respond to an inquiry from The Christian Post for further clarification on the comment.
As Newman's rape comments have now been deleted from the site, the university is now investigating the allegations of his online behavior.
"Obviously, a threat of rape is outside the bounds of any definition of protected speech. Due process requires that, before taking any action, we verify the alleged facts and give this staff member the chance to explain himself if he can," Purdue Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications Julie Rosa told Campus Reform. "Needless to say, the statements, as alleged, are reprehensible and unacceptable in the eyes of the entire Purdue community."
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, urged the school to terminate Newman's employment not just for the alleged rape comment but also for his nasty treatment of pro-life students.
"This is intolerable behavior, period. Purdue must terminate their relationship with Mr. Newman now. For the past week, our students have been called 'racists,' 'human garbage,' and 'ignorant c**ts.' They have courageously stood their ground and have met with black students who were offended by their educational display to explain their event and ask for help for future events," Hawkins said in a statement. "But now the safety of our students has been put into risk. Purdue cannot let a staff member publicly call for the rape of their students no matter how unpopular their speech."
