UW-Madison professor invites ex-con convicted of sexual misconduct to speak to class

Jamie Perez by Jamie Perez

A student reportedly walked out of a legal studies lecture last Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after an ex-convict spoke to the class about his incarceration as a convicted rapist.

The Daily Cardinal first reported that professor Ralph Grunewald invited the guest speaker to his Criminal Justice in America class, which is mostly filled with freshmen and sophomores.

One student anonymously told the publication, “I felt completely outraged that without any trigger warnings [prior to the lecture] somebody who is a convicted rapist was going to come in to speak to our class. And [he] has the opportunity to be around girls the same age as the girl whom he assaulted.”

The university’s communications spokesperson, Meredith McGlone, said “students are learning about what happens to offenders after they’re released from prison back into the community.” McGlone went on to say Grunewald invited two guest speakers who are “experts” on this topic. Both work for a local non-profit that serves former inmates who are reintegrating into the community. McGlone said the students “knew the speakers were coming” and knew the general topic of their presentation, however, the professor “did not realize one of them planned to share [their criminal convictions] with the class”

Grunewald was not able to give us an interview. Nor was the dean of students, who reportedly received a complaint from the student, and is remaining anonymous.

A former teacher’s assistant for Grunewald said when she heard about what happened, she was troubled by the information. She told us, “the guest speaker is meant to give students the opportunity to hear from someone who has experienced reentry personally; the focus is not on the content of the speaker’s conviction… I value content warnings for students, but we are perpetuating stigmatization and setting a dangerous standard if we start warning students about the presence of someone ever convicted of a felony.”

University officials and the student will meet Wednesday to discuss the issue further.

The student declined an interview with us, but told us they “feel very heard” by the university and wants to move on.

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