Eugene weekly., May 26, 2016, Page 8, Image 8

BY CAMILLA MORTENSEN
• The city of Eugene received an application
for a 10-year property tax exemption under the
Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE)
Program and it is taking public comments on the
proposal. According to the city, “The Olive Lofts in
Eugene is a proposed 5-story, 36-unit housing
with ground floor commercial space at 844 Olive
Street. The property is currently vacant and was
formerly Rogue Public House (restaurant and
brewery).” You can see the application online at
eugene-or.gov/3281/MUPTE-Applications or view
it at the Eugene Permit and Information Center, 99
W. 10th Avenue, between 9 am and 5 pm,
weekdays. Written comments may be submitted
to Amanda Nobel Flannery, City of Eugene
Planning and Development Department, 99 W.
10th Avenue or amanda.nobelflannery@ci.
eugene.or.us. For more info, call 541-682-5535.
Comments must be in by 5 pm Wednesday, June
8.
• If you live in Springfield and pick up your
dog’s poop, you can enter the Canines for Clean
Water Calendar Contest. Springfield’s Development
& Public Works Department is kicking off the
Canines for Clean Water Calendar Contest for 2017.
To enter, dog owners must live in Springfield and
pledge to pick up their pup’s poop. You can enter
either via email or on Facebook by going to
facebook.com/SpringfieldOR and posting a photo
of your dog along with #CaninePledge
#SpringfieldRes. Or email a photo of your dog and
include in your email: #CaninePledge
#SpringfieldRes to WaterResources@springfield-
or.gov. The contest runs from through June 24. Go
to springfieldstreams.org for more info.
• Eugene Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense
in America will be wearing orange and marching in
recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness
Day. To join, meet at First United Methodist Church,
1376 Olive Street, at 5 pm June 2 and walk to the
corner of Oak and 8th to hear from community
leaders starting at 6 pm. For more info contact Rev.
Adam Briddell adambriddell@gmail.com or check
out wearorange.org.
CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION
In our May 19 news story “Cannabis Changes
the Game of Real Estate,” we wrote that landlord
Darrel Mansell plans on raising the rents on his
remaining tenants. We meant to write he does not
plan on raising the rent.
POLLUTION UPDATE
It’s come to light since last week’s Pollution
Update that in addition to the warning letter the
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) recently sent to the Springfield Target Store
(store number 612, located at Gateway Mall) for
hazardous waste law violations, the Springfield
Target was one of four Oregon Target stores that
were assessed a penalty of $6,850 by DEQ on May
13 for failing to obtain authorization for
“underground injection control” (UIC) systems.
The Springfield Target store has six roof and
parking lot UICs, which have the potential to
degrade groundwater quality if not properly
maintained and operated. DEQ also recently
assessed a penalty of $7,217 against McFarland
Cascade Holdings, Inc. for discharging illegal
levels of pentachlorophenol and copper to the
South Yamhill River from its Sheridan wood
treatment facility in December and January.
McFarland Cascade Pole & Lumber Company
operates a wood treatment facility on Hwy. 99 in
Eugene that also discharges pentachlorophenol
and copper to Oregon waters.
Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project
8
May 26, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com
RAPE SURVIVORS
TESTIFY AGAINST
REQUIRED
REPORTING
PHOTO CREDIT: BRIANA CEREZO
expect decisions to be taken away from you, especially in a
t the University of Oregon, if a student is sexually
situation where you are already vulnerable.”
assaulted and tells her or his instructor, then the pro-
Hanson has repeatedly offered to partner with the UO in
fessor or graduate teaching fellow must report what
repairing its system of dealing with sexual assaults — between
happened, whether or not the student wants it report-
her case and that of a young woman who says she was gang
ed. This is required reporting, also known as manda-
raped by three UO basketball players, the school has paid out
tory reporting. Reports go to the UO’s Title IX coordinator.
hundreds of thousands of dollars in settling allegations it has
The UO Faculty Senate voted May 18 on new required re-
mishandled the cases — the UO has rebuffed her offer.
porting rules, with proposed rules narrowly defeated.
Brenda Tracy also testified against required reporting. In
For some, required reporting is the best way to handle dis-
the fall of 2014 she went public
crimination and harassment. Others,
with her story of four men, three of
such as UO psychology professor
them football players, raping her
Jennifer Freyd, UO alum and rape
at an apartment near OSU in 1998.
survivor Laura Hanson and Oregon
OSU apologized and reached out
State rape survivor Brenda Tracy,
to her to help the school protect
say mandatory reporting can cause
rape victims.
more harm than good.
When it comes to mandatory
Under Oregon law, workers in
reporting, Tracy, like Hanson,
“certain professions” are manda-
say she feels college students can
tory reporters of child abuse, and
make informed decisions, as op-
according to the UO, “Oregon law
posed to vulnerable populations
requires that all university employ-
such as children, the elderly or
ees with credible evidence that any
those with certain disabilities.
form of prohibited discrimination by
— LAURA HANSON, RAPE SURVIVOR
“It’s scary to come forward and
or against students, faculty or staff is
use your voice, and it doesn’t turn
occurring have a duty to report that
out well for everyone,” she said
information.”
after tearful testimony before the
Sexual harassment and assault
Faculty Senate.
are considered “prohibited discrimination.” But just how that
Tracy says that as an outsider looking in, she thinks OSU
reporting should be done is at the center of a heated debate.
is clearer than the UO about who is a mandatory reporter and
Hanson was unable to leave her job in Portland to come
who is not. OSU’s document on “How to Help a Survivor”
and testify against the required reporting policy, but she sent a
says employees should “inform the survivor of your respon-
statement to be read by Freyd at the meeting.
sibility to consult with the Office of Equity and Inclusion.”
Hanson writes, “In January 2013, I was roofied and raped
Hanson agrees that the UO’s policies and materials for dealing
by the president of Chi Psi at the University of Oregon. You
with sexual assault remain unclear.
should already be familiar with how poorly the UO handled
UO professor and University Committee on Sexual and
my rape report, given that the decisions you’re making will
Gender Based Violence co-chair Carole Stabile spoke before
directly affect my fellow survivors.”
the Faculty Senate on May 11 when the “responsible employee
The fraternity president was found guilty of sexual mis-
policy” was first brought up by the committee. She said the
conduct under the student code, though not until after the UO
mandatory reporting policy that came out under former UO
forgot to pursue her case for several months, took her counsel-
president Michael Gottfredson at the time of basketball sexual
ing records without her consent and created a situation where,
assault scandal was unclear.
on top of being sexually assaulted, she was ostracized by her
Under the revised policy, Stabile said, survivors have op-
peers and traumatized by the school’s inept handling of her
tions, such as disclosing to confidential reporters such as coun-
case.
selors.
“From my perspective, the UO shouldn’t be making these
With regard to the concerns raised by Freyd and others, the
huge policy changes/statements without having a system in
committee writes in its rationale that it “recognizes that there
place to thoughtfully and effectively resolve the rape com-
are serious arguments raised in opposition to this policy, espe-
plaints received,” Hanson continues.
cially with regard to its potential for discouraging some survi-
She tells EW that mandatory reporting “puts adults in a po-
vors of sexual violence from seeking confidential assistance.”
sition they would not normally be in. As an adult you don’t
A
‘As an adult you don’t
expect decisions to be
taken away from you,
especially in a situa-
tion where you are
already vulnerable.’