Apr 20, 2012
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Western Kentucky University officials said they are investigating allegations that campus police refused to stop students from placing condoms on hundreds of crosses that had been set up as part of a massive student pro-life display.
As many as 4,000 crosses had been erected in the university’s old football stadium by Hilltoppers For Life, a student-led pro-life group. The students had applied for and had received permission from the university to create the display.
The group had assigned students to provide 24-hour surveillance over fears that pro-choice students might vandalize the display, said John Sohl, president of the pro-life group.
And late Thursday night Sohl and his brother found two people dressed in black vandalizing the display.
“They were putting condoms on every single cross in our display,” Sohl told Fox News. “She said she was doing it for an art project. She was desecrating the crosses for class credit.”
Sohl called campus police – but they refused to intervene – citing First Amendment concerns. The police told the pro-life students that they “couldn’t do anything because the condoms aren’t actually vandalization.”
And the alleged vandal told police she had been given permission by her art teacher to desecrate the display.
The university released a statement to Fox News saying they have launched an investigation into what happened.
“Free speech – all free speech – is valued by WKU administration,” the statement read. “Interference with the expression of free speech is not condoned and is not supported by WKU.”
The university confirmed that the pro-life group sought and received permission to display the crosses.
Sohl said it was disturbing that the student may have gotten class credit for the assignment.
“She was desecrating the cross,” he said. “They didn’t destroy our display, but to me – by putting a condom on a cross you may as well be destroying the cross.”
He said at least one university official called him and apologized for what happened.
“She said she didn’t know what the university’s official response was going to be but she told me she was disgusted,” he said. “I do think the university should pay much closer attention to its faculty. I can only imagine that an assignment like this – desecrating a cross?”
Kristan Hawkins, the executive director of Students for Life of America, told Fox News the university should not tolerate such acts of vandalism.
“Claiming vandalism as art is disingenuous and disturbing at best,” she said. “The desecration of the crosses at WKU is sacrilegious, offensive, and borders on a hate crime.”
Hawkins said other pro-life college students have also been victims of vandalism but what happened at Western Kentucky was especially concerning.
“It is not uncommon for students to face opposition of this nature but usually the campus police do help out and stop the vandalism rather than hide behind some ‘artistic expression’ excuse,” she said. “I find it unbelievable that the after the pro-life students contacted campus police they failed to do anything and allowed the desecration to continue, in direct violation of the rights of the pro-life student group.”
Below is video shot by the pro-life students as their display was being vandalized:
Vandalism at WKU! First Confrontation from Kristan Hawkins on Vimeo.
Vandalism at WKU! Second Confrontation from Kristan Hawkins on Vimeo.
FOX News Talk
So the Pro-Life students received PERMISSSION to put up their display, but the condom crusaders sneek out in the dark of night to desecrate fellow students display while campus rent a cops stand by as 1st amendment art affecianados? The (I'm sure tenured) art teacher would condone her students using crayons on the Mona Lisa? How about ghetto art spray painting on Venus de Milo? All in the name of the 1st amendment…
Just wear a condom and this wouldn't be an issue!
PS: Todd Starnes, this is horrible journalism. I am someone else in journalism and this is poor journalism. (Poor journalism is one sided, which is exactly how this piece was written).
What does fox news have to do with journalism?
What happened to the separation of church and state
I mean, art students are allowed to deface campus all the time and call whatever they happen to be doing "art." If they're allowed to smear dirt on the walls of the Fine Arts Center and place saran wrap around nearby trees, I'm not surprised they were able to put condoms on crosses.
harsh
Kyle Obrock But true. Taking the whole religious debate or whatever out of it, random crap is all around campus constantly in the name of "art." Why is this any different?
Tyson Trogdon im assuming you really havent taken the time to actually see the pieces, experience the pieces, and actually enjoy them? Next time you see a piece, read the artist statement. Each piece has a deeper meaning and takes a lot of thought and process and time to put into… ps: I am one of those " art students" that "defaces" campus. And NO smearing dirt on a wall on FAC is NOT art. Anyone can do that.
Kyle Obrock The pieces I see hanging in the building and on display are nice. I read them and like those. I love going to the gallery. But I hate the trashy crap some kids do all over campus as "art" projects. I'm not talking about hanging up a work you have done. I am talking about piles of bones, saran wrap on trees, condoms on crosses, dirt on walls, etc. You and I both know how pointless that stuff is.
and why is a shitload of pop-cycle addition signs in the middle of public seating exempt from your qualifications for WKU property defacement?
Let religious people be religious and let art kids be arty…who cares? BUT don't deface someone else's beliefs just because you don't believe in them…
If you are referring to the moss that is on the wall of FAC as being "mud",then that would be my project… thank you . It was about nature and architecture, and how we build so many buildings. Yet, land still takes over. I am sorry you did not like it. I just wanted to clear that up for you, in case that is what you were referring to. We have permission to do our projects and art. They are about conveying messages and getting people to think. I think this whole debate proves it. I do understand you like art Tyson, its cool. Please just know we have a reason! I would have to disagree with you on some of those projects being pointless, maybe that is because I am in the class though.
If you are referring to the moss that is on the wall of FAC as being "mud",then that would be my project… thank you . It was about nature and architecture, and how we build so many buildings. Yet, land still takes over. I am sorry you did not like it. I just wanted to clear that up for you, in case that is what you were referring to. We have permission to do our projects and art. They are about conveying messages and getting people to think. I think this whole debate proves it. I do understand you like art Tyson, its cool. Please just know we have a reason! I would have to disagree with you on some of those projects being pointless, maybe that is because I am in the class though.
Tyson Trogdon This is why art is so controversial and subjective. I loved the moss. (Not mud) It took a lot of time and thought. Allison did a great job on executing it.
and Dan the thing is this is not relating to religion. Hilltoppers for Life is not a religious organization. They used popsicles and ducktape to represent a dead fetus. If they are a religious group, they need to stop saying that they arent religious related, and use better materials to create such an iconic item. I am a christian and I am prolife but either way you look at this, both groups were doing a piece on prevention.
I did learn from this discussion to not forget my artist statement.lol Lesson learned. This whole things is just silly now.
This isn't vandalism. The police flat out said that it wasn't vandalism, stop framing it as vandalism. Also, the pro-life and art student have the same goals in mind: cutting down on abortion, it's just one wants to cut down on abortion using methods that don't impede the woman's right to choice. Grow up and realize that your right to expression is subject to public ridicule, praise, critique and edits.
First of all I am disappointed that the news sources I have read so far have not remained neutral. I would like to thank Justin Reed Lawson for his eloquent post.
WKU is a wonderful campus with many passionate groups. The installations are always entertaining whether they are controversial or not. I can respect that the original installation is a form of expressing an idea. It very much is a freedom of speech and I am impressed with the creation and message.
However… it did interrupt a public space that is often used for studying, relaxing, and socializing. I respect the crosses as personal property, but they are left in a public place and if they were not an "installation" they would probably be moved, turned into lost and found or thrown away. From this perspective, the crosses are public and the condoms are public and they just so happened to be touching.
This however is not the main point. In my opinion it is unfair to call the original installation a form of free speech, and the response a "desecration". Both are trying to convey a message. Both messages are powerful.
I would hope that Fox and other biased sources would look at the issue as simply competing beliefs.
I am frustrated and hurt at the negative light these sources are casting at our University which has a proud tradition of creativity, passion, and expression of voice.
Why is it that Free Speech is limited to conservatives? Laying condoms on crosses is no more vandalism then the crosses themselves. Double standard much?
Why is it that Free Speech is limited to conservatives? Laying condoms on crosses is no more vandalism then the crosses themselves. Double standard much?