UVA Dean Of Students Slams 'Rolling Stone'

Less than a month after the publication of the scathing Columbia University report that blasted Rolling Stone's reporting of "A Rape On Campus," which blamed the magazine's fact-checkers, editors, and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely for the piece's myriad factual errors, University of Virginia dean of students Nicole Eramo has penned a scathing open letter to Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone's publisher, about her experience. In the article, which has since been retracted, Erdely made a series of allegations about Eramo: That Eramo called UVA "the rape school," and that Eramo didn't support Jackie and didn't offer her legal recourse when Jackie came to Eramo about her sexual assault, among others.

"My name is Nicole Eramo, and I am the University of Virginia dean of students featured prominently in the Rolling Stone article," Eramo begins her letter, first acquired by The Washington Post. The four-page letter outlines Eramo's experience as a sexual violence advocate; describes the allegations made against Eramo by Rolling Stone that were later disproved or found lacking in evidence by the Columbia Journalism report; and writes poignantly about her experience after the publication of the article that, she says, "deeply damaged me both personally and professionally."

In the article and related media appearances, Rolling Stone and Mrs. Erdely stated that I discouraged Jackie from reporting or discussing her alleged assault, that Jackie suffered “abuse” at my hands when she tried to hold the perpetrators accountable, that I called UVA “the rape school,” that I did not “support” Jackie, that I did “nothing” in response to Jackie’s allegations and did not report them to the police, and that I sought to “suppress” Jackie’s alleged sexual assault.

"Rolling Stone's recent actions are too little, too late," Eramo continues, outlining the threats she received after the article was published — death threats, she alleges, along with a loud chorus of voices demanding she be fired. "My name — and the photo-shopped picture of me — remain forever linked to an article that that has damaged my reputation and falsely portrayed the work to which I have dedicated my life."

It's worth noting that Phi Kappa Psi, which was named by Erdely as the fraternity who gang-raped Jackie, has stated publicly that it's looking into suing the magazine.

Image: Rolling Stone