Editor’s note: The following letter was originally published in The University Echo, the student newspaper of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It appears below in modified form.
TO THE EDITOR:
Nationally-ranked wrestler Corey Mock was expelled from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga by Chancellor Steve Angle on Dec. 2 for sexual misconduct. A new ruling, however, allowed him to take his final exams.
Mock’s father, C.D. Mock, the head wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “[Angle] couldn’t have done anything worse.”
Let’s paraphrase this: the father of an alleged rapist said that Angle made a mistake of carrying out discipline. Hello. What are you saying is worse?
Are you upset that your son was found guilty of sexual misconduct? Or are you saying the mistake was that Angle expelled a nationally ranked wrestler? Or are you implying that Angle carrying out discipline on an alleged rapist is worse than rape? Did your son not make a mistake? A mistake that is so life-altering for him — and especially so for this woman. Her entire life has changed. The way she thinks and processes her everyday life decisions is forever effected because of your son’s actions.
But was it even a mistake? Mock made his decision. Angle made his decision. Corey is not the victim. He made choices.
Only five sexual offenses were reported at UTC for the 2013-14 school year. For the 2012-13 school year, only two were reported. But a study from the National Institute of Justice estimates that for every 1,000 women enrolled in a college, there are 35 incidents of rape each academic year, according to the Times Free Press.
There were 5,971 women enrolled at the University of Tennessee for the fall semester. Statistics would translate to nearly 210 students being the victim of sexual assault.
