To the editors:

Rape is a very serious and heinous crime. Dylan Rosevear, the Loyola student identified in “Student arrested on rape charge” article, has not actually been charged with rape in the incident that allegedly occurred Oct. 15. He was jailed and questioned by the New Orleans police on suspicion of rape for over 12 hours. His parents had to hire a lawyer and raise $10,000 bond from distant Alaska to get him out of jail. Even if charges are filed at some future date, our laws dictate that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

When you believe you are innocent of a crime, imagine the humiliation of the rumor mill swirling around you! You try to go to classes and concentrate on your studies. Then The Maroon front page of Oct. 28 hits. Your name, photograph and some grisly details about the incident are there for the whole world (thanks to the Internet) to see and read. Imagine being told by your lawyer not to say anything in your defense, because it will be twisted and used against you. Can you imagine the anger, frustration and humiliation Dylan must be feeling? Might you be driven to medical withdrawal from the university, even though all your efforts of the past 15 weeks will be lost?

I believe that, by including his name and photograph, the article helped damage a member of our small Loyola community irreparably. Our Jesuit ideals teach compassion, but the article verged on maliciousness. Social justice was not served by identifying him so prominently, no matter what happened between Dylan and the young woman, and even if he is eventually convicted of a crime. Should he be tried and the case thrown out of court, how will The Maroon make amends? I’ll be waiting for that article!

Meanwhile, I am praying for Dylan, the unknown young woman, AND for better judgment within The Maroon organization.

John Mahoney

Coordinator of Jazz Studies

[email protected]