The Washington Post had an article that focused on Virginia Military Institute's institutional racism especially on African Americans. It was reported that some filed complaints only to see lack of action to discipline or expel the students or staff who had done the acts of racism. This prompted the Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to issue an order to open the investigation on VMI. The President of VMI"s Board of Visitors denied that there is systemic racism.
VMI basically glorified Confederate Stonewall Jackson claiming that they honored him because he's "staunch Christian" and "military genius" - if he was military genius, then how come did he die during the battlefield and his Confederate Army was routed by the Union Army?
For a long time, I always regard VMI as high class school. In fact, dozens of my close friends knew that if I was hearing, I would end up going to VMI.
Which was the reason on why I was thrilled to learn of my good, Deaf friend who announced on Facebook that her CODA daughter was accepted at VMI last spring and her CODA daughter went to VMI last August.
After staying for six days at VMI during the Hell Week, her CODA daughter left VMI and declined to talk about her experiences at VMI. She has decided to attend James Madison University (JMU) instead. I was surprised and bit confused. I thought VMI has opened its doors to female students.
For about two weeks after she abruptly left VMI, she started to talk about what's going on. She was quite humiliated and terrified of several incidents that happened during the Hell Week. She went on to tell one incident with her Deaf mother who was stunned and furious about it enough for her to tell me the story.
Each female freshman is required to take a shower for only one minute (60 seconds) in a hurry. But it was never 60 seconds, it was always 35-40 seconds before a female upperclassman opened the door with half-dozen of male upperclassmen standing behind her looking at women taking showers and yelling insults and obscenities at her and other female freshmen in the shower area. That is sexual harassment, folks.
Her CODA daughter said that it was pretty much acceptable behavior at VMI, even the staff knew about it. She can't handle it so she left after six days.
Oh, VMI claims to be a staunch Christian military school? Really?
Cheers,
R-
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