Pro-Abortion University Staffer Who Called for Raping Pro-Life Students Won’t Face Discipline

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Feb 12, 2016   |   10:51AM   |   Lafayette, IN

Just a few days after Purdue University staffer Jamie Newman allegedly threatened online to rape pro-life women, the university announced that it will not take action against him.

Earlier this week, Students for Life of America reported discovering the violent comment while monitoring online discussions about its student pro-life club at Purdue.

UPDATE: University Staffer Who Threatened to Rape Pro-Life Women Resigns, Refused to Apologize

According to Students for Life, Newman used his Disqus account “jamiegnewman” to post the following comment at LiveAction News:

Oh, I’m sorry. So, let me make my intentions quite explicit: I did in fact offer to rape Tom’s wife/daughter/great grandmother. Free of charge, even. I’m generous that way.

Here’s the number for the West Lafayette Police Department: 765-775-5500. Here’s the number for the local FBI office: 765-435-5619. Drop that dime! I could strike at any minute

*giggles* (like a girl)

jamienewman

On Thursday, the university quickly announced that it was closing the case against Newman, saying it had not found “sufficient evidence to take action” against him, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports.

“As far as the university is concerned, the speech was repugnant and inconsistent with Purdue values,” the Purdue statement read. “We don’t condone it, but at this time no personnel action is intended.”

Keep up with the latest pro-life news and information on Twitter.

After the announcement, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, told LifeNews: “It is an awful precedent. So employees of Purdue University can go around saying they are going to rape people online and that’s okay with them? This man represents their university.

“My question: Will those on the other side of the abortion issue, those feminists who claim to be for women, now speak out and join us to say that rape threats are never tolerable?” she continued.

Local police continue to investigate Newman. Purdue told MRCTV the Purdue University Police Department is “following standard procedures in conducting interviews and gathering information about the alleged statements.”

Purdue has been flooded with calls and emails from students, parents, alumni and pro-lifers calling for Newman to be investigated and fired, according to local news reports.

Backlash against the Purdue Students for Life began last week after the club members put up posters around campus that focused on how the abortion industry targets black women and their unborn babies for abortions. In coordination with Black History Month, the campaign posters read “Hands Up, Don’t Abort” and “Black Children are an Endangered Race” and included the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

On Monday, a small group of pro-abortion students and faculty held a sit-in protest during the pro-life club’s meeting and demanded an apology, LifeNews reported.

After the controversy, Newman also allegedly posted two comments on Feb. 4 on the Purdue pro-life club’s Facebook page, according to screen shots by Students for Life:

You folks are vile, racist idiots, who richly deserve all the opprobrium that will be heaped on you as a result of this unbelievably thoughtless, stupid escapade. That you are seemingly incapable of appreciating the moral, legal, and social differ[ences]…

And that you should have pulled this stunt at the beginning of Black History Month suggests you are are either epically cluless or profoundly malicious. So which is is – embarrassingly dumb or simply evil?

The threatening comments have since been deleted, but Students for Life has screen shots of them on its blog. Students for Life said its staffers had been monitoring social media posts since the controversy began to ensure the safety of the students. Staffers said they were paying close attention to Newman after they noticed several nasty comments on Facebook.

Unbelievably, Newman told the newspaper Thursday that he believes the attacks against him are defamation. He said his comments were taken out of context.

“As for the idea that I actually threatened to rape some random stranger’s wife and children — well, that’s also a complete fabrication, but one built on a fragment of a much longer conversation,” Newman said. “You could view the whole conversation over at liveactionnews.org, except they took down my side of it.  Makes it so much easier to spin when all relevant context is removed.”

Hawkins said his abusive behavior should not be tolerated.

“Purdue must terminate their relationship with Mr. Newman now,” Hawkins said. “For the past week, our students have been called ‘racists,’ ‘human garbage,’ and ‘ignorant c*nts.’ They have courageously stood their ground and have met with black students who were offended by their educational display to explain their event and ask for help for future events. But now the safety of our students has been put into risk. Purdue cannot let a staff member publicly call for the rape of their students no matter how unpopular their speech.”

In a statement, Students for Life added: “In our current time, Americans know that threats made online must be taken seriously. At Students for Life, we take this Mr. Newman’s words very seriously especially in light of the current controversy at Purdue, his previous posts, and the position of authority he has on the campus.”

Newman is listed on the university website a division of dance accompanist and composer.

ACTION: Tell Purdue University to terminate its relationship with Jamie Newman.

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