George Washington University Honors Group That Vandalized Pro-Life Display
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 7, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Officials at George Washington University have finally taken action in response to a February incident, which saw members of the College Democrats group vandalize a pro-life display. Instead of disciplining the students involved, GWU has honored the political group.
A campus affiliate of the pro-life conservative group Young America’s Foundation erected the pro-life display in January featuring crosses to remember babies killed in abortions.
However, members of the College Republican group, which shares a student office with the Democrats, found some of the crosses in the office. https://www.lifenews.com/state3801.html
The crosses were scattered throughout the joint office and some of them were pinned upside down on a bulletin board and anti-Christian messages were scrawled on them. Others had condoms affixed to them.
Instead of stating whether or not any students have been reprimanded and apparently refusing to investigate the vandalism, GWO has instead honored the College Democrats group as the "Most Outstanding Student Organization of The Year."
Rob Lockwood, the president of GW Young America’s Foundation talked with LifeNews.com about the news.
He called the GWU award "appalling for a group who did relatively little positive on this campus, and sponsored the most hateful thing this campus has seen in a while."
The GWU award recognizes organizations with exceptional performance in motivating and organizing fellow students to enhance campus life.
That is "exactly what you helped us do this year with your participation in our campaign trips and campus events," the College Democrats group said in a press release accepting it.
"Let’s never forget the fun we had making this organization great," the group added.
Brandon Hines, communication director for the College Republicans, first noticed the vandalism and he took pictures and emailed them to other members of his group and posted them on his blog site.
Lockwood learned of the vandalism from the blog site and said a New York-based church had donated the crosses for the group to use to advance the pro-life perspective on campus.
"It’s completely inappropriate," he said of the vandalism. "It’s private property and disrespectful on a number of levels. If they want to do that in their apartment they would have the right to, but these were on display in a public student office."
The GW Hatchet, the student newspaper, indicated the College Democrats group released a statement saying an unnamed member of its organization admitted to the vandalism and apologized for destroying the pro-life display.
GWU spokesman Tracy Schario said at the time that college officials had identified the student and the Code of Student Conduct would be used to punish the person. GWU officials have not responded to LifeNews.com and a request for comment on whether the student was disciplined.
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