Washburn college republicans release call to action for WSGA diversity and inclusion director to step down
*** This is a developing story***
The Washburn College Republicans issued a statement earlier today calling for WSGA Diversity and Inclusion Director, Megan Dorantes, to step down after it was revealed that she had posted numerous social media posts which have been described as “hateful and discriminatory” by the College Republicans.
Screenshots of Dorantes’ posts, which can be found on the College Republican’s Instagram along with their official press release statement, make derogatory comments regarding United States police, the country of France and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Harrison Dollar, President of the College Republicans, said that this behavior was unbecoming of the Diversity and Inclusion Director and needed to be addressed.
“Director Dorantes should resign or be terminated as soon as possible,” said Dollar. “This behavior is not fit for any Washburn student and especially not one paid by the students to be the Diversity and Inclusion Director. Spewing hate and calling for physical violence will not be tolerated.”
Washburn students on Instagram have made their positions known. Some students agreed with Dollar’s points while others have accused the College Republicans of being racist as they call for a woman of color to be removed from her position in WSGA.
WSGA Vice-President Dylan Babcock issued a short statement where he said that if anyone believes that student misconduct has occurred, they should reach out to Dr. Joel Bluml who can be reached at 785-670-2100 or at [email protected].
The Washburn Review reached out to Megan Dorantes for comment, but she has not responded thus far.
Washburn University’s official statement on Diversity and Inclusion on campus can be found below or on its website.
Washburn is committed to cultivating an inclusive learning, living, and working community, facilitating the success of all people, and supporting all individuals. An inclusive community values diversity in culture, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, nationality, place of origin, language, ability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religious and non-religious identity, political and social ideology, family background, veteran status, and age, as well as the intersections of these identities. The University strives to provide opportunities for its members to reflect upon their own perspectives while examining the perspectives of others, resulting in a culture of empathy and respect for all.
Edited by: Madison Dean
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Chloe Chaffin • Jun 15, 2021 at 9:43 pm
All due respect, if I may, I must say that I am disappointed in the Review’s choice to launch this story. I believe in the power of the fourth estate and understand the wish to bring more eyes and clicks to the website. But this ain’t it.
One college student laughing at the bigoted former president of the United States in a few tweets (so clearly and obviously jokes meant to cope with the rising tide of authoritarianism at home and abroad) is IN NO WAY equal to platforming the man or student organization responsible for that press release. As bourgeoning journalists, I would hope that members of this paper would in the future also be more careful about the sources and voices they choose to uplift. Looking to Mr. Dollar’s history, I am baffled as to why a “developing story” would be released this early (not that I believe this ought to have been news) at so early a point that the accuser has been allowed to shape the narrative before Director Dorantes has an opportunity to defend herself. I believe we as a human species would do better to remember that it is the people who have the most at stake who may become the most emotional when bigotry flourishes. Mr. Dollar’s “press release” and appearance of “cool rational thinking” as I am sure he would like it to be perceived are not factors of his superior intellect or reasoning, but a function of his privilege.
You don’t have to think the director is funny, but you do have to recognize that there is a difference between obvious jokes at the expense of the powerful without any credible threats vs the real harm that this microscope being put on the director with old social media stalking and new attention from quasi-fascist groups will bring to her individual safety and emotional well-being. This is not to say that the Director of WSGA has no campus-level influence or responsibility, but we are kidding ourselves here if we think it is the same as the power of POTUS.
I will remind you that in between all the other grave and fatal harm 45 caused, he literally stated that he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone” and that he “would not lose any voters”. Trump is neither defenseless nor does he have the moral high ground against the Director (or anyone for that matter).
University is about challenging a community of learners. Diversity and Inclusion should be about making sure students feel safe on campus when the wider world hurls slurs, faces a rise in reported hate crimes, carries the threat of deportation, etc. The director’s position is NOT about creating an ideological comfort zone for fascism.
Deplatforming is the best tool the media has against fascism and hate, and you cannot in good faith create any meaningful equivalency between these two. I am near dumbfounded this has to be said.
I genuinely DO believe that the staff of Washburn Student Media had the best of intentions here. You at least attempted to reach out to both sides, you underlined the university’s statement on equity and inclusion, etc. however, sometimes just because a story is out there does not mean it is deserving of a megaphone. That is partially how we elected the former president in the first place.
Chasing the story is of course exciting, I imagine that is why members of your team took this job, and that is admirable. But once a story has more eyes you are not able to contain its reach, and I am not convinced that this attention was a responsible use of this platform.
Double bind. Either the situation is “everyone was going to see the drama on Instagram anyway so it doesn’t harm anyone to post this here” in which case I ask, “why to bother?” This is just causing harm through redundancy OR this staff believes that they are reaching new eyes with this piece in which case this piece is opening Director Dorantes up to further avenues of harassment and then it was a mistake to platform the issue here and on the Student Media Instagram as well.
I love Washburn and that is how I know we are better than this.