College Professor Leads Students in Vandalizing Pro-Life Display on Abortion 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 14, 2006
Heighland Heights, KY (LifeNews.com) — A college professor at Northern Kentucky University encouraged her students to vandalize a pro-life display members of the campus Right to Life group set up to oppose abortion.
Not content with urging students to trash the memorial, Dr. Sally Jacobsen participated in the vandalism and was caught on camera by reporters from the student newspaper.
Members of the Northern Right to Life, the campus pro-life group, set up hundreds of crosses on a campus lawn to memorialize the babies who have died from abortion since Roe v. Wade.
After Dr. Jacobson and NKU students destroyed the display, members of the group decided put new crosses up in their place and camp out overnight on Thursday to make sure they weren’t vandalized again.
The student group also told The Northerner student newspaper it plans to press charges with local police.
"We called the police and told them that we decided to press charges," Julie Broering, treasurer for the group, said. The decision came after members of the pro-life club held a day-long meeting and vote.
Campus police reports indicate several young women destroyed about 400 crosses from the display in the grass in front of the campus center on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Northern Kentucky University President James Votruba has confirmed that Dr. Sally Jacobsen encouraged students in her British literature class to "exercise their free speech" by vandalizing the display.
Jacobson’s class meets on Wednesday evening and reporters from The Northerner caught her and NKU student trashing the pro-life display.
"I am very disappointed that this happened," Votruba told The Northerner. "At a university, the opposing views should be able to bump up against each other. Responding with pamphlets or speeches would have allowed the power of ideas to compete."
The student newspaper indicated about 10 students joined Jacobson in vandalizing the display. Police arrived two hours after Jacobson’s class period and found the crosses in trash cans across campus.
David Tobergte, an administrative sergeant with the University Police said those involved could face felony theft charges and any students could also face university sanctions regarding the incident.
Dean of Students Kent Kelso apologized for the incident and said those involved would be punished. He indicated he would press for a full police investigation.
Related web sites:
Northern Kentucky University – https://www.nku.edu
PHOTO NOTES: (1) Dr. Sally Jacobson tears down the main "Cemetery of Innocents" sign displayed by the campus pro-life group. (2) Pro-abortion students remove crosses from the display. Photos copyright 2006 The Northerner newspaper.
