Students sue to delay admission of men

modbee ^ | 11-30-04

[LouAvul]

AUBURN, N.Y. (AP) - Claiming they were deceived about attending a women's school, two Wells College students are suing to prevent the school from admitting men until after this year's freshman class graduates.

The suit was filed on behalf of freshman Lauren Searle-Lebel of Arcata, Calif., and sophomore Jennifer LaBarbera of Fredonia.

The students seek preliminary and permanent injunctions to stop the school, founded in 1868 as a woman's liberal arts college, from admitting men before fall 2008. The suit also seeks undetermined punitive damages and "any other such further relief as the court deems just and proper."

...........

The suit accuses Wells of breach of contract through its admissions process, and violating state general business law by engaging in fraud and "deceptive acts."

Peter D. Carmen, the students' lawyer, said while the college was actively recruiting females, the trustees had been developing the plan to admit male students.

The lawsuit filed Monday in state court in Cayuga County also alleges that campus tour guides were specifically instructed in their 2003-2004 training manual to say "no" when asked if the college was going coed.

"We're asking for very limited relief," Carmen said. "We just want the women who applied to, and were accepted by, a woman's college to be able to graduate from a women's college."

[LouAvul]

Gotta love it. Bet if they wanted into a guy's school they'd sue for that, too.

"I am woman. Hear me whine."

[MisterRepublican]

Ahhhh...diversity.

[Alia]

Oh. Their looking for their Master's degree income funds.... Fishing via means of lawsuit.

[BenLurkin]

Face it boys -- you would NOT be happy there.

[-=Wing_0_Walker=-]

Good shot in both cases. However, I think there is a need for gender separated "things", e.g. education and McSorley's Bar. In these instances there may be a loss of some purported benefit by the included or banned. On the other hand there are benefits to such situations, all one gender education, bars etc. As long as something doesn't prevent someone from advancing in life and there are equivalent facilities elsewhere, I do no see it as discrimination.

I know, sounds like separate but equal - that was "state" sponsored, this is catering to the needs of some individuals. My wife was one of the women who marched on McSorley's Ale House years ago. I said, now that your married, don't you worry about the women who frequesnt the place when I go out drinking with the boys?

[Muleteam1]

How many times I've seen in FR the words, "What goes around, comes around."

Muleteam1

[rcocean]

I'd like to see the liberal pretzel logic whereby all-men college's violate the civil rights act or the constitution and all-women colleges don't.

[saquin]

There are several all-male colleges still operating these days also. I see nothing wrong with single-sex colleges. Some people want that experience. While I think it's up to the college to decide if they want to change that, I can see the students' arguement that the college they applied to and are attending is single-sex and that the administrators are changing the nature of the college (in fact, changing one of its main distinguishing features) in the middle of their 4-year-education.

I don't necessarily think a lawsuit is warranted but I'm not going to call them whiners or belittle their perspective.

[saquin]

Sheesh, I hate typos that make me look illiterate.

"arguement" should be "argument"

[rcocean]

Really ? Who are they? Do they receive state or federal funding?

The Citadel was forced to admit women.

[RFEngineer]

They did and they did. ref: VMI.

[Right Wing Professor]

There are several all-male colleges still operating these days also.

Two. Wabash and Morehouse. Morehouse is historically African American, so they get a free pass from the media, and Wabash is just proudly idiosyncratic. There are a few specifically religious all-male schools, but they aren't usually counted.

[saquin]

Wabash College
Morehouse College
Hampden-Sydney College
St. Johns University (Minnesota)
Deep Springs College (2 year)

[rcocean]

Thanks I didn't know any men only colleges existed.

I'm all for freedom of choice and for people doing what they want. That's why I'm not a liberal.

However, I don't see much hope for their lawsuit or all the men at the citidel and VMI could have sued and won.

[billorites]

ping

[ApesForEvolution]

The Citadel, VMI, etc. come to mind...without caring to read about whiney Wellsbos...