Headlines for the wrong reason

Rape allegations hurt the entire college community with bad exposure

Published 11/19/98

Point Park College has gotten some news coverage within the last week or so concerning the alleged rape of a dorm student. What makes matters worse is that the people in question are two Point Park students who are members of the men's basketball team.

Tony Lesesne and Ricardo Soto have been charged with rape, indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy in burglary, according to Robert DelGreco Jr., Lesesne's attorney. An open hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. in the Pittsburgh municipal building.

The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to bring those accused to trial. If probable cause can be established, then a criminal trial will proceed against Lesesne and Soto.

It's too early to pass judgment on whether or not Lesesne and Soto are innocent or guilty. That is for the courts to decide. However, regardless of the hearing's outcome, Point Park as a whole will suffer from this exposure.

The men's basketball team will suffer from Lesesne's and Soto's absence. Point Park's policy is to suspend a student charged with rape from both the college and its activities. Lesesne, who was projected as the go-to guy in the Pioneer's lineup this season, will not be able to play basketball or attend classes while charged.

With the alleged rape taking place in the dorms, it poses another question that the college has to answer for its students: Are the dorms safe?

At a time when the college is trying to fill up its dorm rooms, this news doesn't aid in its efforts. Evidence of Point Park trying to keep students in the dorms occurred when the college announced last semester that it was reducing off-campus aid in order to shepherd more students into those rooms in Lawrence hall.

These allegations also hurt the college and the new marketing campaign it's trying to implement. No matter how Point Park tries to make itself more appealing to prospective students, some may ignore the educational opportunities the school provides and focus on the rape charges that took place.

Larger schools could withstand an event like this. People may even expect some crimes to occur on campuses with 35,000 or 40,000 students out in the middle of nowhere. But for a small, private school like Point Park, an incident like this could have considerable repercussions in the years ahead.

When something like this happens, rumors typically fly around like moths near a porch light. It's important to distinguish fact from fiction. While The Globe isn't advocating covering up the ugly truth, it is equally as important to take secondhand gossip as that - something that shouldn't be taken seriously.

Nowadays, it may be getting harder to distinguish the two from each other.

Click here to return to opinion index.