“How Moral Panics Help Maintain Immoral Practices”

A recent piece by Pro Publica details a pattern of suppressing and dismissing cases of sexual assault on the campus of Liberty University. Liberty University is a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. As reported by Pro Publica, some female students would report their assault, and campus officials would submit them to a version of victim-blaming. The officials suggested that the students had violated the “Liberty Way,” the school’s campus policy against drinking and fraternizing with the opposite sex. Students told Pro Publica that some…