I am Still "John Doe"

Two days ago, I reported that the president had announced that the school did not, has not, and will not sue me. Unfortunately, the actions of the University again don’t match up with president’s words. The “John Doe” suit remains active in Marion County court.

Since the lawsuit is still open, the school can substitute my name for that of “John Doe” whenever they want to. Are they going to add my name later today? Tomorrow? Next week? Four months from now? Is the president making promises now that he can break once he feels enough people have forgotten? These are questions that I find myself debating almost constantly. The president has said that the school will not sue me. If he intends to make good on that promise, then the school should dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice. Given how often and how forcefully I’ve been threatened with this lawsuit, I won’t believe that they don’t intend to sue me until it is dismissed.

Yet the lawsuit sits, open, ready, and waiting. I believe it is not just a threat to me, but to each one of you who might ever dare to question authority. When you check the court dockets for the status of the Butler v. “John Doe” case, it is hard to imagine what the university wants you to think. Could it be that they want you to believe that “John Doe” might be you? I think, in a very public way, the Butler University administration has decided to say, “Do you want this to happen to you?”

This is simply not right. To date, nearly 600 people have signed a petition calling for the administration to apologize for filing the lawsuit and to apologize for the accusations made against me. Many of those who have signed have also left very strong comments:

“It is inconceivable that a University would operate in a climate of fear and that it would sue a student for a blog, anonymous or not. What are Butler students learning about honor and settling differences and free speech?”

-Reverend James F. Mulcahy

“Too many colleges and universities are using their resources to bully and intimidate their faculties and students. This case appears to be an egregious example that is a disgrace to Butler University and the whole of the Academy.

-Bruce A Voyles, Ph.D.

Grinnell College

“I would think that the brightest scholars in the world could handle a little lively on-line candor better than this. I think I can scratch Butler off the list of possible colleges for my three kids if this is the way they resolve things with students. I sure would not want one of my kids treated this way.”

-Reverend Max Ramsey

“As a lifelong academic I am appalled that a student's freedom of expression is being curtailed and threatened. This defies basic human goodness and decency.”

-Steve A. Wiggins, Ph.D.

If you have not signed the petition, I urge you to consider doing so. If you have signed it, go back and read what our friends on campus and around the country are saying. Their statements are very moving and provide a markedly different perspective than the one Butler administration is promoting. The petition can be found by going to www.ipetitions.com/petition/butler

Right now, I am “John Doe.” The president seems to want you to believe that you too can be “John Doe.”

Don’t let the administration scare you: They scared me once and I sat down, silenced. Now, I’m standing again and I don’t intend to go anywhere. I appreciate those of you who are standing with me and I’m confident and hopeful that together we will make a difference.

The Power of Fear

While today was a busy day, this post won’t be too long.

I want to start tonight by telling you about my discussion in January with the vice president for student affairs. He summoned me to his office over winter break, when the university was closed, and refused to tell me why we were meeting. I got there and requested that I be able to have representation since he had the dean of students by his side. I was told that that would not be allowed. I asked to leave. He asked me to stay. I should have left, but I didn’t. That was my first mistake. We spoke for a little while, and at one point he asked me about the December 25th Email. I should have refused to answer his question. That was my second mistake. Instead, I was scared, and I lied. That was my third mistake. I apologize to all of you: It was a mistake that should not have been made. Like I said yesterday, I hope you’re still with me.

There are two more things I want to talk briefly about tonight:

The president, in his memo yesterday (linked on the right), made the claim that “the University did not, has not, and will not sue Jess Zimmerman.” The lawsuit that the university filed against “John Doe” (me) remains open in the court system and remains a very big threat both to me and to all of those who feel they can’t speak out about what is happening on campus. I’ve started a counter, also on the right, that will tell you how long the lawsuit has remained active since the president promised the University community the school would not be pursuing it.

Tonight there was a public forum organized by a small group of faculty to discuss this topic, and discourse in general, and I want to thank everyone who came. It was a very, very emotional evening for me and, to be honest, I’m a little drained right now. Surrounded by interested and passionate students and faculty, I felt I was in extremely good company. I felt supported, and I wasn’t the only one. One of the students who spoke said that she had been afraid to send an Email that expressed her concerns about the actions of the administration. With such support around her, she stood up and said she was no longer afraid. It was the support in that room that helped eradicate her fear, and I hope that that support continues to spread throughout campus. While much of what was discussed tonight revolved around me and this situation specifically, I think we are beginning to see this issue as a much bigger one. What the administration is doing to me, they can do to anyone on campus who feels the need to speak out. It sets a dangerous precedent for the academic community at Butler and on other campuses. When so many of us band together to protect the rights of any one of us, the rights of all of us are protected. For now, I want to know what you thought. If you went, what did you take away from tonight’s discussion? What are your thoughts about what was said?

One last thing before closing: I’ve linked to a copy of Butler University English Professor Bill Watts’s reaction to the president’s October 19th memo to faculty.