Some more good news…
…here:
Three University of Virginia graduates and members of a fraternity profiled in a debunked account of a gang rape in a retracted Rolling Stone magazine story filed a lawsuit against the publication and the article’s author Wednesday, court records show.
The three men, George Elias IV, Stephen Hadford and Ross Fowler, filed suit in U.S. District Court in New York. They are also suing Rolling Stone’s publisher, Wenner Media.
A lawyer for the men said they suffered “vicious and hurtful attacks” because of inaccuracies in the November 2014 article, which was written by journalist Sabrina Rubin Erdely.
Also Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Will Dana, Rolling Stone’s managing editor, will be leaving the magazine next month. Dana said in a statement to The Times that after 19 years at Rolling Stone, “I have decided that it is time to move on.”
When asked whether Dana’s departure was linked to the retracted story, a spokeswoman for the magazine’s publisher, Jann Wenner, said that “many factors go into a decision like this,” according to the report.
In the lawsuit, the three 2013 graduates said the article “created a simple and direct way to match the alleged attackers” from the alleged gang rape to them based on details provided in the story.
Prediction: Dana will land on his feet, and then some. I make no prediction about whether the students will win their lawsuit, but I suspect they have an excellent case.
This is in addition to the lawsuit filed by UVA’s Dean Eramo back in May:
Dean Eramo, head of UVA’s Sexual Misconduct Board, is suing Rolling Stone, Wenner Media, and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely for portraying her as the “chief villain” in the now-debunked article. The suit says the article suggests Eramo “did nothing” and tried to suppress “Jackie’s alleged gang rape to protect UVA’s reputation,” when in actuality she quickly arranged a meeting with police, introduced her to sexual assault support groups on campus, and told her to encourage other alleged Phi Kappa Psi rape victims to come forward so the university could take action against the fraternity.
“Rolling Stone and Erdely’s highly defamatory and false statements about Dean Eramo were not the result of an innocent mistake,” says the suit, according to the Washington Post. “They were the result of a wanton journalist who was more concerned with writing an article that fulfilled her preconceived narrative about the victimization of women on American college campuses, and a malicious publisher who was more concerned about selling magazines to boost the economic bottom line for its faltering magazine, than they were about discovering the truth or actual facts.”
Eramo says the Rolling Stone story damaged her reputation and caused her physical and emotional distress, which contributed to surgical complications she suffered while being treated for breast cancer. She is seeking more than $7.5 million in damages.
That suit, unlike the one filed by the three UVA students, includes journalist Sabrina Erdely as one of the defendants. That seems very fitting to me, although she’s probably the one with the most shallow pockets.
In addition, the accused fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, filed a lawsuit against Rolling Stone last April.
The wheels of justice appear to be grinding, and not so very slowly. But I doubt that any of this will undo the perception of rampant rape on campuses by frat boys, any more than did the unraveling of the Duke case and its aftermath.
Jann Wenner never get what he deserves, but I know enough stories from writers who worked for him at Rolling Stone that he’s one of the all-time worst, most blatantly corrupt editors and publishers…
For instance, do remember Cactus? You’re not alone if you do not. But in 1970 (or whatever the exact year was) they were formed as a “supergroup” and so their record company spent a huge amount of ad-space in RS. But then, the music reviewer, someone well-known at the time, in that world, wrote that their debut album was terrible. So he was fired.
And then came along the Rolling Stones’ album “Goat’s Head Soup,” by now acknowledged to be one of their worst. But Jann Wenner loved hanging out and partying with the stars. Mick Jagger in particular was displeased by getting a bad review. Another writer was fired, and Wenner himself wrote a replacement review for the next issue, explaining how great the record actually was. Nobody was much fooled, though some fans will applaud anything, forever.
I think Wenner pulled this again with a Bob Dylan album. I used to be friends with a legendary rock critic who knew all of this stuff. He was a bitter man, but anyone in any artistic field runs into this question of show-biz, with all the ugly corruption included, versus pure art, or art for art’s sake.
I’ll stop now, before I end up siding against where I began. But Rolling Stone as journalism?
“That suit, unlike the one filed by the three UVA students, includes journalist Sabrina Erdely as one of the defendants. That seems very fitting to me, although she’s probably the one with the most shallow pockets.”
Probably true… and, frankly, I don’t care. She set out to deliberately destroy people’s lives, because she had a preconceived notion, independent of facts, that they deserved to be destroyed.
She certainly deserves to have her name dragged through the mud, as the shoddy journalist that she is, for what she’s done to others.
I’m sure this has been commented on before but I’m just noticing for the first time that both of these institutions where widely-publicized bogus rape claims against white men were allowed to advance for far too long are located in the south. Not that this doesn’t happen elsewhere but it’s like the antipathy toward the south was a factor in allowing credulity to linger long after suspicions should have developed in the media.
Lawyers -> become more powerful
Prosecutors recruit from lawyers
Prosecution gets more powerful via convictions
Convictions-> lawyers become more powerful
Good. To quote Professor Reynolds, “Punch back twice as hard!”
Hope the plaintiffs get the policy limits and then clean out the equity of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone.
Since a coal company filed Ch 11 today, I’m looking forward to Rolling Stone’s bankruptcy.
I’ll consider it good news when the plaintiffs win.
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“But I doubt that any of this will undo the perception of rampant rape on campuses by frat boys . . .”
Sadly, Neo, I agree with you on that. Too many liberals, Womyn Studies professors and other academics, and a large percentage of ethnic and religious minorities are set in their beliefs that white men, frat boys, college athletes are nothing but a bunch a ignorant, homophobic, misogynistic, racist pigs.
And, no amount of evidence will get them to give up their stereotyping. After all, if they had to accept that those stereotypes are wrong then, OMG!, they might have to admit that other beliefs they hold dearly are wrong as well.
That won’t be happening. ever.
Fraternities won’t be out of the weeds with American media until their members are all black, on food stamps, and the offspring of poor single mothers or all transsexuals.
SIDEBAR!
for a lot of fun:
Debbie Wasserman Schultz Still Can’t Come Up With a Difference Between Democrats and Socialists
http://content.jwplatform.com/previews/4vGRpMRy-hLb0vkFd
she REFUSES to answer the question and keeps changing it to a question of differences between dems and republicans and how the “socialsits” want to save your retirement and how the republans are mean and wnt to end medicare/medicaid…(or some such drivel)
you see… if the publica actually found out that they have been voting for socialism, given their stupidity in refusing to understand synonyms when doing so allows one to pretend a difference without a distinction.
communism, socialism, bolshiviks, menshiviks, nazis, fabians, progressives, (modern) liberals, leftists, (practical) anarchists, feminists, fascists, and many more are ALL variations on the same thing…
totalitarians…
and only americans are stupid enough to think that a puppy is not a dog, and an acorn is not an oak tree… and caterpillers dont become moths/butterflies…
ie. its a special kind of stupid
The falsely accused Duke University lacrosse team members sued the university for millions and won. Too bad Nifong didn’t get some jail time for prosecutorial misconduct.
Consider this, in the current context.
Chastity vs Luxuria
Temperance vs Gula
Patience vs Ira
The 10 Commandments were removed, along with the Confed flag of Lee and others. But before those removals, which are merely the tip of the spear, the Left also moved the seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues.
Want to take a guess as to why?
Here’s a primer on those virtues and vices then.
A chaste person would not indulge in sexual relations except under healthy or worthy limits. Luxuria or those guilty of lust, would fall into darkness, being driven by their sexual desires, losing their status as humans or rational beings.
Chastity thus: Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought-through education and betterment. The ability to refrain from being distracted and influenced by hostility, temptation or corruption
Education, is it. How educated are these college fools, one either side? Can they resist the distraction and influence of hostility? Are they tempted or are they corrupt? Are they tempted to corruption even? Would a chaste person fall into darkness at these colleges? If the Left is the ultimate evil, would they tolerate chastity as a virtue? Would they tolerate lust instead? Why, is it because lust makes people easier to control and indoctrinate?
Now then, what is said of temperance: Restraint, temperance, justice. Constant mindfulness of others and one’s surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, moderation and deferred gratification. Prudence to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time. Proper moderation between self-interest, versus public-interest, and against the rights and needs of others.
Are college students mindful of self control, do they defer gratification? Are American youths capable of balancing the interest of society with their own rights and needs?
Or are they fallen to Ira, Wrath?
Wrath:Anger or wrath is an intense emotional response. Often it indicates when one’s basic boundaries are violated. Some have a learned tendency to react to anger through retaliation.
Seneca addresses the question of mastering anger in three parts: 1. how to avoid becoming angry in the first place 2. how to cease being angry and 3. how to deal with anger in others.[12] Seneca suggests, to avoid becoming angry in the first place, that the many faults of anger should be repeatedly remembered. One should avoid being too busy or deal with anger-provoking people. Unnecessary hunger or thirst should be avoided and soothing music be listened to.[12] To cease being angry, Seneca suggests “one to check speech and impulses and be aware of particular sources of personal irritation. In dealing with other people, one should not be too inquisitive: It is not always soothing to hear and see everything. When someone appears to slight you, you should be at first reluctant to believe this, and should wait to hear the full story. You should also put yourself in the place of the other person, trying to understand his motives and any extenuating factors, such as age or illness.”
Now then, are American youths and college students capable of moderating their anger, while repeating the mistakes of anger? Are they capable of forgiving slights or at least waiting, deferring the benefits of wrath, until later, when guilt is more certain and sure? Are they waiting to hear the “full story”?
The Left often uses pride to declare themselves superior and thus our rulers, because their intelligence is supposedly much higher than our own. But is that true? Do they have the virtues to support this claim, that they can exercise reason without interference from temptation, wrath, and desires?
Too bad Nifong didn’t get some jail time for prosecutorial misconduct.
The lawyers win irregardless of what the results are. They provide immunity to each other, one way or another.
It’s like a house game, it’s rigged.
Ray- Nifong did serve some gaol time, only one day though.
This is in addition to Phi Kappa Psi fraternity’s lawsuit.
Based on this case and others we’ve seen, like the “mattress girl,” my suspicion is that the so-called “rape epidemic” on campus is the result of college girls finding out that the sexual revolution, under which they are supposed to practice the same sexuality as college boys, is not to their liking or benefit.
Richard Saunders, my hypothesis is slightly different.
18+ girls are highly desirable to the porn cartels and businessmen.
Porn is its own sub culture, very hidden since they don’t like outsiders to realize what they are doing. Their methods and practices generate a high profit margin, at the expense of the human mind and spirit. Those damaged goods, naturally need something to fight against.
My theory can easily be tested if you crack the financial records of those girls and see what’s going on. But will people do something like that? People might find something more interesting there than what IRS and Clintons had in their mails.
Ymarsakar — your paranoia is getting a little out of hand.