Incendiary statements made by Catherine Comins, Assistant Dean of Student

Life, that appeared in the June 3 edition of Time have sparked a renewed debate
on campus over the proper role of the administration in dealing with the rape
situation at Vassar. On men falsely accused ot rape. Ms. Comins, who has served
as Director ot Resources on Rape/Assault, Conflict and Harassment (R.E.A.C.H.)
since 1989, told
Time, "They have a lot of pain, but it is not a pain that 1 necessarily would have
spared them. I think it ideally initiates a process of self-exploration. 'I low do I
see women?' 'If I didn't violate her, could I have?' 'Do I have the power to do to
her what they say I did?' Those are good questions." After years of taboo status,
the issue of so-called "date rape" has recently exploded onto the national scene
—on campus, in the media and onto the lawbooks. At the heart of the debate
lies the ques-
tion: what exactly is rape? Should the definition of rape be expanded to include
a broader array of sexual offenses? If used elastically, does not the term "rape"
become watered down, and its true victims trivialized? In Time, Ms. Comins said,
"To use the word carefully would be to be careful for the sake of the violator,
and the survivors don't care a hoot about him." Ms. Comins' comments were
reprinted in an opinion piece in the June 21 edition of The Wall Street Journal
(Neil Gilbert, "The Campus Rape Scare"). As the national publicity increased,
Vassar's damage control team rolled into operation, reminiscent of past mop-
ups such as the Black Commencement Committee, the takeover of Main
Building, the banning of the Vassar Spectator, and a string of other bad-press
incidents, which in recent years seem as routine as the changing seasons of the
Hudson Valley. Ms. Comins, who said she was "burned" by Time, consented to
an interview with the Vassar Spectator, audiotaped by mutual agreement. She
said she had met with Dixie Sheridan, Vice President for College Relations, to
discuss how best to write a letter to Time to clarify her statements. That letter
appeared in Time's June 24 edition. It reads in full: "To expand on my remarks
that were used in your story, I would like to point out that, of course, I am
deeply distressed by unfounded accusations of rape. However, when sexual
viola-
turns do occur, abused and exploited individuals sometimes use the label ot
'rape to express their vulnerability, shame and rage. While this term may be
inaccurate, such an expression is emotionally empowering for the people who
use it. For the accused, hearing the term rape can come as a horrible shock. Mv
goal in these situations is to help the accused understand his part in the
encounter and have him ask himsell questions such as: 1 >o 1 has c the
potential
to do her what she says I did?' These artgood questions, invariably leading
people to clarify their actions and take responsibility for them, then and in the
future." In addition, Ms. Sheridan wrote a letter to The Hall Street Journal in
response to Mr. Gilbert's opinion piece. This letter appeared in the July 25
edition, and it reads in full: "I would like to correct a most disturbing impression
given by Mr. Gilbert's article. It is not the case that Vassar College or any of its
administrators would condone false accusations of rape. Unfortunately..Mr.
Gilbert misrepresented a comment he read in Time by Vassar's former assistant
dean of student life, Catherine Comins—a comment she corrected in a
subsequent letter published by Time. There is obviously no benefit to anyone
for a false accusation of rape." In an interview, Ms. Sheridan said "bells went off
in her head when the Time story appeared, followed by the 11 'all Street
Journalpicce. She said her letter was "necessary to correct what was blatantly
wrong," and that the Journal piece was "a misrepresentation of a
misrepresentation." Was either piece really a misrepresentation, or is Vassar
simply trying to distance itself from Ms. Comins' comments? For what purpose
would Time —no rightwing publication— twist her remarks? Ms. Comins' letter
does not state which of her words were misinterpreted, nor in what way. Ms.
Sheridan's letter thoroughly repudiates Ms. Comins' comments that ap-
pcared in Time, but it too does not state how Ms. Comins' words were
misrepresented by Time or how they were misrepresented by Mr. Gilbert in The
Wall Street Journal. She only states that there were misrepresentations. If Vassar
were simply trying to correct "misrepresentations" in the press, then Ms.
Sheridan's aspersions on Mr. Gilbert's reading comprehension and repudiation
ot Ms. Comins' statements would seem
sufficient. Why, then, did Ms. Sheridan's letter refer to Ms. Comins as Vassar's
"former" assistant dean? Comins & Coin's In an interview two weeks before he
left Vassar. James Montoya, then-Dean of Student Life, explained Ms. Comins'
status: "Catherine Comins is on a year's leave of absence from the College. |She]
adopted a child at the end of last year and has decided to take a leave for the
year. Pam Neimeth... will serve as Acting Director of R.E.A.CJ I.
Catherine will serve the College in the capacity of an educational consultant.
And in fact, she and I just met earlier... to schedule the various programs that
she will offer to the College. They will include workshops for student leaders
[and] security officers..." Although this employment arrangement was publicized
last spring in the Miscellany News, Ms. Sheridan, Vassar's puhlicrelations chief
and a senior officer ot the College, was apparently out of the loop. She
explained why she mistakenly referred to Ms. Comins as Vassar's "former"
assistant dean: "There may have been an arrangement between her andjitn
Montoya. I don't know." What a strange coincidence that her boss, President
Frances Fergusson, appears to have escaped this knowledge as well! A high
administration official confirmed that Ms. Fergusson has received numerous
correspondences concerning Ms. Comins' comments in Time. In onesuch letter,
Mrs. Barbara H. Chacour '63 demanded of Ms. Fergusson an explam tion for the
remarks. Ms. Fergusson's reply, passed along to the Vassar Spectator. begins:
"Thank you for your letter of July °rh regarding the comments attributed to
Catherine Comins, our former Assistant Dean of Student Life, in a recent Time
article on rape on college campuses. Ms. Comins, who is now in private practice
after a distinguished career of service to Vassar, was misquoted in the article..."
Is
Mrs. Chacour to believe that the President is mistaken on the employment
status of one of her assistant deans (who, incidentally, is still on Vassar's payroll
as an educational consultant)? And since when was Ms. Comins "misquoted" by
Time? Misrepresented, maybe; but not even Ms. Sheridan claimed that Ms.
Comins was misquoted. Was she misquoted? Ms. Comins said, "no," just
"misrepresented." As for Ms. Fergusson's characterization of her as a "former"
assistant dean, Ms. Comins said, "That's an inaccurate statement. 'On leave* is
accurate." Why would Ms. Fergusson lie twice in the same letter? On the
question of Ms. Comins' "former" status, Mr. Montoya said haltingly, "Ah, that is
incorrect in the sense that... It's correct in the sense that Catherine is on leave."
By this impromptu logic, when Ms. Fergusson takes her sabbatical leave next
semester, she will be referred to officially as Vassar's "former president." Right?
To this, Ms. Sheridan replied no. On Ms. Comins' performance as Director of
R.E.A.C.H. over the past two years, Mr. Montoya called it "tremendous." Ms.
Sheridan described her service as "so good." But as for Ms. Fergusson, in her
numerous correspondences, is she subtly trying to give Ms. Comins the hint to
leave? The discord among administrators echoes that of a much larger debate
on campus, primarily involving students—not over Ms. Comins' employment
status, but over the role and effectiveness of the administration in dealing with
Vassar's rape situation. Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide Ms. Comins'
statements in Time came as no surprise to many students, male and female,
past and present. Ms. Comins said her comments were printed out of context,
that the men to whom she was referring are guilty of something in the first
place, and so self-questioning is therefore beneficial. "[R]ape truly describes her
or his sense of violation, and in fact it's an emotionally accurate label, but it may
not be a legally accurate label... It's not that I have doubts that something
happened. It's that I have questions whether or not it would be best to term it
rape." In other words, Ms. Comins told Time that false accusations of rape are
okay but did not mean it. What she really meant, she said, was that accusations
always bear at least a kernel of truth: either factually or "emotionally," the
accused invariably must he guilty of some-
thing. Is this any better than the original comments? Many are the accused who
feel their rights have been run over roughshod by Ms. Comins and the College
Regulations Panel, for which Ms. Comins was responsible for training: either
evidence was flimsy, the accuser was lying or mentally unstable, or Ms. Comins
was allegedly biased. In addition, many are the accusers who feel justice has
been inadequately dealt by the Regulations Panel: either the convicted is back
on campus, the accused was advised he may withdraw through the "back door"
to avoid a hearing, he was never convicted, or he was simply slapped on the
wrist. (The President approves or rejects punitive measures recommended by
the Regulations Panel.) A Regulations Panel widely perceived as ineffective has
given rise to the "Men Who Rape" lists on the bathroom stalls—a manifestation
of ultimate anger and frustration on the part of women, and a symbol of the
community's disregard for the rights of men. The disgruntlementamongstudents
runs deep, not only relating to sex-viola-
tion cases gone awry: many students have expressed dismay that certain
students found guilty of assault and theft are suspended or expelled, while
others mysteriously remain in school. Is the Regulations Panel a kangaroo court
concerned more with emotion than fact, and does it cause more harm than
good? Amendment VI to the U.S. Constitution reads: "In all criminal pros-
ecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an
impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to
be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with
the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses
in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence." At Vassar,
the trial is never public, the "jury" is not always impartial, the accused is not
informed of the witnesses against him beforehand, he may only obtain one
witness
As for Ms. Fergusson's characterization of her as a "former" assistant dean, Ms.
Comins said, "That's an inaccurate statement."
in his favor, and he is forbidden to have the assistance of counsel. Ms. Comins
admitted that there have been serious deficiencies in Vassar's adjudication
system, including some past mistakes of her own. "I saw an evolution in my
actions... over the two years ot the R.E.A.C.H. Office. When I was at the
Counseling Service, prior to being the Director of R.E.A.C.H., and then even
during my first year of R.E.A.C.H., I did things that, as of the second year, I did
not do." She said that in her first year as Director of R.E.A.C.H., she occasionally
"serve[d] as a [character] witness" for the accuser in cases she herself had
helped move forward to the Regulations Panel — an impartial body,
theoretically. She also said she has never testified on behalf of the accused. She
said that "with my knowledge" students have brought charges lacking evidence
before the Regulations Panel, which subsequently found the accused guilty,
contrary to her professional judgment as to what constitutes rape and sexual
assault. She said the administration has never em-
powered her or anyone to prevent a case from proceeding to the Regulations
Panel, no matter how frivolous or potentially damaging to the reputation of the
falsely accused. "[I have never] been in a position to say to people, 'You can't
call this rape,' or 'You can't file this charge.'" Alumni relate, though, that Natalie
Marshall, former Vice President for Adminis-
trative and Student Affairs, has prevented several cases from proceeding,
despite the wishes of student complainants. Ms. Comins called "very, very
unfortunate" a specific incident in which the Regulations Panel found a student
guilty of assault based on the testimony of a singular character witness who,
after graduation, recanted her testimony. She expressed regret that the College
offers no possibility for official exoneration of a graduate whose guilty verdict
was based on testimony later retracted. Furthermore, physical evidence is
not a requisite for a guilty verdict, nor is perjury before the Regulations Panel
punishable. Having admitted all these instances of administrative malfeasance in
dealing with rape and assault cases, why did not Ms. Comins try to improve the
system during her two-year tenure as Assistant Dean of Student Life? Or was
she prevented by superiors who may have been more concerned with purveying
Vassar's pristine image than with addressing the rape problem? Numerous
suggestions have been proposed to improve Vassar's adjudication system. In an
interview, Christopher Kimm, 1990-*9 l VSA President, said he was disappointed
that Ms. Fergusson rejected last year's VSA proposal to post the names of
students found guilty of serious violations. He said she rejected it on the advice
of counsel, as Mr. Montoya confirmed. According to Mr. Kimm, counsel advised
Ms. Fergusson that students could possibly file claims against the College tor
invasion of privacy, but that in such instances, case law has decided consistently
in favor of colleges. He said that he believes Ms. Fergusson rejected the
proposal of posting of names not because she thought the College might lose
any cases, but because Vassar would have to spend money to litigate. Mr.
Kimm's priority was to apprise the community of the names of safety risks—
people who commit theft, assault and rape. The administration's priority
appears to be the avoidance of litigation. In the Miscellany News last October,
Sheila Gillert, Associate Director of Residential Life and then-Chairwoman of the
Subcommittee on Sanctions of the Committee on College Regulations, said, "I'm
If the Regulations Panel is I imperfectible, I then ought Vassar's liaison with legal
authorities be strengthened?
not in favor ot posting names for humanitarian reasons... Posting names would
make it tougher for someone to reform." Is Vassar a reform school or a liberal
arts school? Should the priority be to "reform" monsters, or to keep Vassar as
safe aspossiblebyidentitying its predators and swiftly removing them?
Meanwhile, in the September
13, 1991, edition of the Miscellany News, Ann Hudspeth '92 writes that a man
found guilty of sexual offenses against her has returned to Vassar after a three-
semester suspension: "'Nobody has the right to at-
tack you,' 'We want to make Vassar a safer place,' 'Sexual offenses will mil be
tolerated'—even' sticker, every flyer, every hpIt isall lies. 1 only wished I hadn't
believed them before I was attacked or 1 wouldn't have bothered to
use up my precious strength pressing charges against the man who attacked
nu... The college regulations panel seemed horrified at my story of the very
violent and very public attack that 1 suffered. They assured me that the hard
part was over and that justice would he administered... Ifthey were sincere in
their concern for me and this community, then why have they allowed this
criminal back into our com-
munity—turning my life into a terror I thought I left two years ago?" In the
Miscellany News last December, Shelley Farmer '92 told the story of a student
who was found guilty two years earlier for "verbal abuse, attempted physical
assault, attempted coercion, malicious annoyances, as well as verbal and written
threats" against her. (Miss Farmer has told the Vassar Spectator that she insisted
her case go forward, despite Ms. Comins' and Mr. Montoya's urgings that it not.
She said that Ms. Comins recommended face-to-face "mediation" between her
and her attacker. She added that, on the attacker's return to school after
suspension, Ms. Comins forbade her to go near her attacker, so as not to
provoke him. At Vassar, the restraining order is placed on the victim.) Back on
campus less than one semester after his suspension, the College pressed new
charges against him. He was charged with sexual harassment and rape on behalf
of three students. Ms. (lomins told him he had the option of withdrawing, and
so hedid. Miss Farmer writes, "I Ie will not go to College Court and he willnot get
expelled. II a rapist can walk away, we must ask ourselves: How bestial and
uncivilized does any student have to be before he/she is expelled from Vassar?"
It appears that men who feel their rights have been trampled on by the
Regulations Panel are outnumbered only by women, such as Miss Hudspeth and
Miss Farmer, who feel that their predators got off too easily. Miss Hudspeth
writes, "My parents always wished I had pressed charges against him, but I
wasn't up to that at the time... (The Vassar administration] only cares about its
money-making reputation
Should the priority be to "reform" monsters, or to keep Vassar as safe as
possible by identifying its predators and removing them?
ami silencing those voices that could bring unwanted controversy. But it's not
too late to press criminal charges, and I will if u comes to that. And maybe I'll
press charges against Vassar and its inadequate judicial system while I'm at it...
Now, more than
ever, I feel less like a survivor and more like a victim." Fight the Poutr How viable
is the option of pressing criminal charges? Ms. Comins said, "I have always
raised the option of going to the police and to the hospital... Inn the decision is
never mine.** Considering the perception, widespread among both women and
men, that the Regulations Panel is a mockery, is it
time perhaps tor Vassar to abandon adjudicating cases involving charges ot
criminal acts altogether? As rape is not a crime of sex but of violence, would the
Regulations Panel hear cases of other violent crimes, such as batten' and
murder? Ms. Comins said, "No. Those cases would go [probably] straight to the
Poughkeepsie Police." Does Vassar treat rape differently because of its stigma,
Vassar's ability to try the accused without evidence, or for some other reason?
Should Vassar not only inform accusers of the option, but actively encourage
them, to go to the hospital and police? With physical evidence, police can
remove the suspect from campus by arrest immediate!}, most likely never to
return. On this, Als. Comins reflected a long moment. "Had I not had an
experience just this week, I would be more ambivalent and therefore ambiguous
in my response. But just this week I had the horrible experience of
accompanying a friend who had been raped to the police station. It was
absolutely college-unrelated. And I learned something from that firsthand
experience, and that was that it can be really fruitful... It was a small town police
where, frankly, I had reason to expect there would be even less of a good
response because it was such a small organization; and they were won derful!
So, frankly, intellectual arguments about all this aside, this experience this week
has given me fuel to encourage people to go, to offer even more
encouragement for that than I have already done in the past." Miss Farmer
writes, "'Go to criminal court!' some people say. But criminal court , _ _ _.!_ . no\
requires time, money, and for us as college students, parental involvement." She
also writes, "Tightening
the regulations won't matter if we can't get the accused to answer to them."
Indeed, students may withdraw to escape answering College charges, and
continue to torment their victims from the outside, as
happened to Miss Farmer. They may be suspended and eventually return while
their victims are still in school, as happened to both Miss Farmer and Miss
Hudspeth. In all cases, all students found guilty by the Regulations Panel of
rape, assault and other violations will be able to return to society with their
freedom intact after their college years. If the Regulations Panel is imperfectible,
then ought Vassar's liaison with legal authorities be strengthened? In addition
to providing emotional support through counseling, might Vassar
Off campus, they may continue to torment their victims.
be better offspending its vast resources on legal aid to alleged rape victims (and
alleged perpetrators), as do some other schools, than on in-house adjudication,
in
which civil liberties are transgressed, few receive satisfaction and none receive
justice? Reevaluating the adjudication system in which she has played such a
key role for the past two years, a solemn, media-weary and
ostensibly beleaguered Catherine Comms said, with the smallest hint of
remorse: "When possible, it is, in my mind, always preferable for someone to go
outside to file a complaint in a court of law [in cases of] sexual offenses. When
possible, I think that that will yield, assuming it ail works out, a far more lasting
and bigger sense of resolution than anything else that the College could offer."
EM
he said that "with my knowledge" students have brought charges lacking
evidence before the Regulations Panel, which subsequently found the accused
guilty, contrary to her professional judgment as to what constitutes rape and
sexual assault. She said the administration has never empowered her or anyone
to prevent a case from proceeding.
right: Catherine Comins—Director of R.F.A.C.H. on leave, or "firmer" assistant
dean?

EDITORIAL Catherine Comins: The Bigot of Vassar

College
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EDITORIAL
Catherine Comins: The Bigot of Vassar College
NAs Cieorge Orwell once- noted, the great lie, repeated often enough, can
vanquish the truth. Despite the obligation of ,1 liberal arts institution to scientific
inquiry, Vassar's administration has resorted to lying when dealing with internal
affairs. Students, alumnae/i, and even the media are left in the dark while the
truth festers. Catherine Comins, the college administrator entrusted with
tbccritic.il tasks of handling problems of rape, sexual ha rassment, and assault,
as well as training Vassar's dubious College Regulations Panel, defended the
effects of false accusations of rape, in recent interview with Time. In response
to Ms. Comins' insensitive and ignorant remarks. Vassar's administration
compounded problems by issuing misleading statements. In direct contrast to
the implications of Vassar's Office of College Relations' letter to The Wall Street
Journal, in which Dixie Sheridan, Vice President for College Relations,
distances the College from "former assistant dean" Comins and repudiates her
statements, Catherine Comins is still an employee of the College. According to
James Montoya, former Dean of Student Life, Ms. Comins will resume her full-
time position in September 1992. The ugly fact that the College is attempting to
depict Ms. Comins as a
former employee in order to save face, while continuing to keep her on the
payroll as a consultant, underlies a devious attempt by the administration to
distance itself from her statements. 'The administration cleverly maintains that
Ms. Comins' position on false accusations of rape was taken out of context. Yet
'Time, which has no interest in damaging Vassar's reputation or provoking a
lawsuit resulting from erroneous attributions, is sticking by its story. Moreover,
Ms. Comins and the administration have failed to point out how the "former"
dean's bigoted remarks could be acceptable in any context. Ms. Comins'
comments not only debase actual rape survivors by placing them in the same
category as those who lie about the event, but also demonstrate a tremendous
bias against men. The "former" assis-
Ms. Comins must have the courage to apologize for her hateful statements, or
immediately resign her position...
tant deans charge that a false accusation ot rape is a positive good because it
w ill compel a man to consider, "Do I have the potential to do to her what they
say I did," reveals preconceived notions that men are always guilty as charged,
Ms. Comins dismisses the possibility that the accuser may be lying out ot
misplaced maliciousness. When Ms. Comins commented that the suffering men
endure as a result of false accusation ot rape is not a pain that I would have
necessarily spared them," she nailed the coffin on men's rights at Vassar— a
portion of the community whose interests she is paid to represent. It is important
to recognize that Ms. Comins' remarks not only harm men, but rape survivors as
well. If Ms. (Junius had ever bothered to read the story ot the boy who cried
wolf, she might recognize that false accusations have a "third party" effect by
making authentic accusations seem less credible. If false accusations of rape
are common, they needlessly take away time and attention which should be
given to legitimate charges. Such accusations sent' only to trivialize the
accusations of rapesurvivors. If Ms. Comins' ideas were put into effect, rape
survivors would suffer further injustices along with the men Comins appears to
hate. \\Tiat jury, except one headed by Ms. Comins, would ever convict a rapist
if they thought that the accuser lied about the event and
was simply trying to "empower" herself? Ms. Comins fails to see the obvious
result of false accusations, in effect harming those she wishes to help. If she
rein a in s unchallenged, Comins' belief that false accusations can
compel the wrongly accused to think about his abilitity to have comnuted such a
crime, sets dangerous precedents for future judicial injustice. In Comins' justice
system, one is not innocent until proven guilty, but rather, one cannot be
innocent as long as he has the potential to be guilty. Perhaps students should
be accused of plagiarism because they have the ability to plagari/c. This would
certainly make them think more seriously about proper attribution. After years of
being coddled and praised in a closed, partisan community,
her values are finally being tested in the real world. Not surpnngly, the
administration has done nothing to explain Comins' statements to the student
body. Indeed, it seems tew stu-
dents are even aware of the controversy. lor a College which generates
countless directives sent to students via unstamped mail, it is inexcusable that
the administration has been silent on this sensitive issue. What are students to
make
It is important to recognize that Ms. Comins remarks do not only harm men, but
rape survivors as well.
of this silence? Does it indicate agreement with Ms. Comins, or an inability to
openly speak out against her? The administration continues to demonstrate an
inability to lead. Ms. Comins must have the courage to apologize for her hateful
statements, or immediately resign her position of responsibility at Vassar
College. Vassar cannot have such a blatantly bigoted woman advising the very
regulations panel which is supposed to protect students' rights. If the
administration can allow a clearly biased individual to advise a judicial body of
the College, Vassar's commitment to the rights of its students is culled into
question. The administration must not allow the "former" assistant dean to run
away so easily from one of her few moments ot candor during her reign. In the
future, the administration must ensure that inidivduals given the level of
responsiblity afforded Ms. Comins, be cognizant of the importance of objectivity.
The administration has appointed Pain Neimeth to serve as the Acting Director
of R.K.A.C.H. in Ms. Comins' absence. Will she speak out against her
predecessor's misguided beliefs, or will she be complicitous in her silence, as
well? Students must have a guarantee that the administrators who oversee the
College Regulations Panel have a firm grasp of the basic principles of fairness,
objectivity, guilt, and innocence. Ms. Comins' openness to Time might turn out
to be a great blessing in disguise for the student body. Catherine Comins
unwittingly exposed herself tor what she really is—a bigot. Such exposure
necessitates action on the part of the administration. Insensitive and ignorant
administrators must not be allowed to hold positions of power at Vassar
College.