The President of St. Francis Xavier University has said rape culture will not be tolerated at the school after the displaying of what he said was a “degrading and deeply concerning” sign during homecoming.
The sign, painted on a white sheet and hung on an off-campus house read “Drop-off zone: Acadia girlfriends.”
“Language that objectifies women or makes light of sexualized violence has no place at StFX or in any community,” Andy Hakin wrote in a statement to the community and on social media. “We understand the concern and anger this has caused, both within our own community and beyond it.”
The incident comes less than three weeks after a rape case at Cornell University in New York made global headlines.
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Liz Leclair, an anti-gender-based violence advocate, told Global News there is a recent escalation in attitudes towards sexualized violence.
“This is part of and parcel of the culture that is being created and perpetuated here in Nova Scotia, about women and girls being property, that you can do whatever you want with us,” she said.
The university said it had to intervene twice this weekend to have the sign removed and the matter has now been referred through the university’s disciplinary process.
Leclair said she wants to see accountability be taken by the students involved.
“I think there needs to be a public statement made by the young men involved, acknowledging the harm that they’ve caused, acknowledging the impact this has on women and girls in the community,” she said.
The president of Acadia University, Jeff Hennessy, also issued a statement condemning the act.
“We thank [St. Francis Xavier] for the strong stance they have taken against it,” he said. “What happened in Antigonish is a society-wide problem and it is our collective responsibility as higher education institutions to speak out against violence against women and rape culture specifically.”
Both schools say support is available for those who have experienced sexual violence.
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