Comments on: Maxwell clarifies his response

By: For your information

For your information — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:03:32 +0000

You are correct in saying that President Maxwell never made a statement specifically addressing the sexual assaults. First, at the time he gave a statement, only one sexual assault case had been reported. Second, because the case had been so recently reported, without an investigation, it was not proper legal procedure to comment on the reported sexual assault case.

Neither Maxwell nor Drake as an institution intended to place blame or doubt the credibility of the report in not giving a statement – there simply was not enough information to give a statement while still representing the university effectively. The statement Maxwell was referring to was the one published in the original sexual assault stories.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:31:49 +0000

Way to put him on trial. Wait, what did he do? President Maxwell released an official statement about the Phi Delta Theta incident, and you proceed to crucify him because of the timing of the release? Sorry, but official University statements are rarely, if ever, off the cuff, and as such, they take time to “craft.” You are skewering him because someone else misinterpreted the first release to be a response to the sexual assaults? Excuse me, but why don’t you rip into the actual scumbags responsible for these crimes and leave the University alone? As a University official, of course he had to make a statement about the recent incidents, and in my opinion, the text of his first statement (regarding alcohol) fits perfectly into the other situations as well. Or did you not get it? Synopsis: abusing alcohol can lead to some really bad consequences. Does that somehow not apply to all three situations? I commented on the original story about the 2nd sexual assault last week, essentially saying that a whole lot of “blame” needed to go round. And yet, you are still caught up in the idea that certain people can’t be held responsible for their actions or neglect. Grow up.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:19:51 +0000

Um, then please explain this statement from Maxwell’s email: “This past Tuesday, The Des Moines Register printed a statement that one of their reporters requested from me as president of Drake University in response specifically to the incident of near-fatal alcohol poisoning last week. The Register printed that statement in a box alongside an article about two sexual assaults on Drake women students.”

So the statement printed was from the hazing/alcohol poisoning incident, right? If that statement referenced that incident, then where was the statement to address the sexual assaults?

Sorry, I’m still not convinced there ever was a statement *specific* to the sexual assaults. If the DMR printed the “wrong” one, then certainly Maxwell could have asked them for a correction and print whatever he submitted to them but alas, he didn’t have one.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:25:34 +0000

Um… both the TD and the Des Moines Register published the original statement. It is available here: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009911170375

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:16:14 +0000

I have been following this closely and one question is still left unanswered: What was President Maxwell’s ORIGINAL statement regarding the sexual assaults? He alluded to the fact that the Des Moines Register ‘juxtaposed’ his statement about underage/binge drinking with the article about the sexual assaults. That’s fine, but that would mean a statement about the assaults actually *existed* and the DMR failed to print it.

Why is this important? Because at the time, it doesn’t appear Maxwell crafted a statement that could be presented to the reporter who requested one. Only until the Faculty Senate meeting–thanks to Professor Esposito for speaking so forcefully about the issue–did actual discussion begin about *crafting* a statement. There’s much more to this story that needs to be uncovered. Namely, where is the original statement that Maxwell was asked to provide for the Register article? My guess is it doesn’t exist.