LSU president torn over Madison Brooks ‘blaming the victim’ after student’s alleged rape and death

[ad_1]

BATON ROUGE, La. Louisiana State University president’s comments after sophomore Madison Brooks was allegedly raped and later died have been called ‘victim blaming’ and ‘disgusting’ by groups of students and a family member of a student.

LSU President William Tate IV’s email to students focused on reducing underage drinking at Baton Rouge bars near campus, like Reggie’s, which is a point popular watering hole for students that was closed by the state earlier this week.

He didn’t mention Reggie by name, but that’s where 19-year-old Brooks had been earlier the night before he died.

Brooks and the four men she was with, three of whom were minors, were served alcohol on the night of January 15, according to court documents, before she was raped by two of them and dropped off on the edge of a nearby highway where she was fatally hit by a car.

MADISON BROOKS DIED OF ‘TRAUMATIC INJURIES’ AFTER GOOD SAMARITANS TRIED TO SAVE HER

LSU sorority student Madison Brooks was struck and killed by a car. (@madibrookss/Instagram)

LSU’s College Democrats and Feminists in Action sent a letter to Tate, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, which said its action plan “fails” to comfort a grieving student body and ” creeped out”.

“The student body finds itself sickened by this attempt to blame victims and further ignore the overwhelming violence, especially sexual violence, that we face as students,” the student groups wrote. “Instead, you have chosen to reinforce the rape culture on our campus and in the greater East Baton Rouge community.

“As students mourn the loss of our peers and fear for our safety and well-being, your administration calls attention to underage drinking. This response is inexcusable.”

MADISON BROOKS CASE PUSHES LSU PRESIDENT TO SLAM BATON ROUGE BAR AFTER ALLEGED RAPE, STUDENT DEATH

General view of Reggies Bar in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday. The bar is believed to be one of the last places LSU student Madison Brooks was seen before her death on Jan. 15. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)

Tate’s message was “directed toward authors and the institutions that allow them to weaponize alcohol against our students,” said Cody Worsham, acting vice president of LSU’s Office of Communications and Academic Relations.

“The ATC’s subsequent actions on Tuesday have already helped us bring about real change, and the justice system will deal with the defendants,” Worsham said, referring to Reggie’s emergency suspension by the Office of Louisiana alcohol and tobacco control.

“Honoring the life of Madisons compels us to take every possible step to protect students,” he told Fox News Digital. “Going after bars that serve minors in our community is one of many strategies proposed by the President. We invite the entire Baton Rouge community to join us as we unite against all forms of violence and develop new strategies for its prevention.

General views of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., on Wednesday. Madison Brooks attended LSU when she was hit and killed by a car on January 15. (Kat Ramirez for Fox New Digital)

LSU markets itself as an elite university renowned for its excellence, where the cost of attendance can exceed $50,000 per year.

Kris Perret, the solicitor who represents Reggie’s Bar, said the business owners contacted Tate directly on Wednesday “and look forward to meeting soon with him and his team to work together to resolve the issues raised in its recent press release.

“When asked what their plan was and how LSU proposed to partner with local businesses and stakeholders, and what assistance and suggestions they could provide, LSU’s response was to thank us for reaching out to us. hand and that they would get back to us in the coming weeks,” Perret said in a statement Thursday. “We look forward to hearing from President Tate and his team soon.”

MADISON BROOKS INVESTIGATION STOPS BAR, SANCTIONS TO BE DISCUSSED

As the LSU administration, local businesses, police and city bidders discuss possible security upgrades, years of pent-up frustration with crime in Tigerland have spilled out after Brooks’ death.

In addition to student-run organizations, a college student’s sponsor, Amy Glenn, expressed her “disgust” in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

She said her goddaughter, whose name is left out to protect her, is an LSU student who was beaten and tasered by a random attacker near Reggie in 2021.

LSU sorority student Madison Brooks was struck and killed by a car on January 15. (@madibrookss/Instagram)

“There’s a complete lack of recognition that LSU has a responsibility here,” Glenn said. “Reggies, a dive bar, is to blame? Maybe on some level, but where (in Tate’s email) is there anything LSU is doing to help?

“While I agree it’s going to take a bunch of people, why isn’t LSU leading this? They’re calling the businesses and citizens of Baton Rouge? What about the campus police and BR police? What are they doing? Call a meeting and lay the blame?”

Glenn said it’s not all about LSU and its administration. The student bar hotspot called Tigerland is about a mile from campus and a five to 15 minute walk from student accommodation.

A memorial for LSU sorority student Madison Brooks on the 8800 block on Burbank Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday. (KG/Mega for Fox News Digital)

The area is populated with several bars, a few mini-markets, a liquor store, and a smokehouse, but it’s technically city property and not an official LSU extension, though Glenn wants to see it addressed. as such.

The main campus is equipped with several blue emergency call buttons, but there are none in Tigerland, which has virtually no streetlights, no sidewalks, and has become populated with outside agitators.

Brooks died in the early morning hours of January 15, while it was raining.

General view of Tigerland in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday. Reggie’s Bar, located in Tigerland, is believed to be one of the last places LSU student Madison Brooks was seen before her death on January 15. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)

That night, the area was packed like the heart of LSU football season, which reigns supreme in town, Kurt Mikesell told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

Mikesell, who owns a private driving service, moonlights as an Uber driver and navigated chaos the night Brooks died. He’s been using Uber for years and has seen “the wild, spring break-like atmosphere” firsthand.

MADISON BROOKS CASE: BATON ROUGE SAYS SUSPECTS LAUGHT CALLOUSLY AT LSU STUDENT SHORTLY BEFORE DEATH

General view of Reggies Bar in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday. The bar is believed to be one of the last places LSU student Madison Brooks was seen before her death on Jan. 15. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)

To protect students walking home during the rowdiness, Glenn wants to see better lighting and emergency boxes installed along walkways and sidewalks.

“The blame is not entirely on LSU, but unfortunately it has happened before and will happen again and again until great safety precautions are taken,” Glenn said. “There’s no possible way for the university to pretend that it doesn’t know where the students go to hang out and drink or where the majority of them live.”

Investigators are seen outside the Reggies bar in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday. (KR/Mega for Fox News Digital)

The LSU administration referenced an ongoing plan in an email to Fox News Digital, but as of Thursday afternoon no details could be released.

Going back to the message of student organizations at Tate, they asked that he and his administration prioritize sexual violence over underage drinking.

“While we agree that local bars and businesses, particularly in Tigerland, need to do more to protect their customers, we ask that you provide a succinct analysis of the relevance of the age of the victim. and authors in relation to this goal,” said the student. organizations wrote in their letter.

MADISON BROOKS, LSU STUDENT KILLED, DIED A HERO, DONATED KIDNEY, HEART, SORORITY SAYS

LSU sorority student Madison Brooks, 19, was fatally hit by a car on Jan. 15, shortly after she was allegedly raped. (@madibrookss/Instagram)

“We’re glad you’re outraged, but insist that you direct this energy to redressing the sexual violence our community faces instead of using alcohol as a scapegoat,” the groups said.

The three adult suspects arrested in the Brooks case have been released from the Baton Rouge jail, records show.

Kaivon Washington, the 18-year-old suspect charged with third-degree rape, posted $150,000 bond and was released Thursday from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, records show.

Left to right: Kaivon Deondre Washington, Casen Carver and Everett Deonte Lee. The fourth suspect, a minor, has not been identified. (East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office)

Casen Carver, 18, and Everett Lee, 28, both charged with third-degree rape, posted a combined bond of $125,000 and were released on Tuesday. Lee is Washington’s uncle, records show.

The second third-degree rape suspect, a 17-year-old whose identity has not been released, is not due in court until February.

In Louisiana, third-degree rape involves sexual intercourse that “shall be deemed to be without a victim’s lawful consent,” according to state law.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Visitation and funeral for Brooks will be held in Covington, Louisiana on February 3.

Chris Eberhart is an American crime and current affairs reporter for Fox News Digital. Email tips to [email protected] or twitter @ChrisEberhart48

[ad_2]