
Update, 5/19: Earlier today at Columbia University's graduation ceremony, one unusual item could be seen on stage amongst the caps and gowns.
Emma Sulkowicz, who said another student sexually assaulted her in 2012, has carried her dorm-room mattress with her everywhere on campus for a year to protest the university's handling of her case. The school announced a rule Monday banning large objects on the graduation stage, the Columbia Spectator reported.
Nevertheless, this morning, Sulkowicz, with the help of several other graduating students, carried her mattress across the stage. Neither she nor any of the women who helped her carry the mattress shook Columbia University President Lee Bollinger's hand.
Original post, 4/24: When Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz carried a mattress around campus as an anti-rape performance art piece, she became a household name. But the man she accused of raping her says the school treated him unfairly as a result, and he's suing for gender discrimination.
The New York Times reports that Paul Nungesser claims Columbia "became a silent bystander and then turned into an active supporter of a fellow student's harassment campaign." Sulkowicz made "Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)" her senior thesis, which means she got college credit for the performance. Nungesser has consistently denied he raped Sulkowicz and was cleared of any charges.
Sulkowicz spoke out against the lawsuit in a statement to the Associated Press:
Nungesser's suit isn't targeting Sulkowicz but is instead naming the school, its board of trustees, and Sulkowicz's art professor as defendants. He's asking for damages from the school for what he says is damage to his reputation, hurting his career prospects. The school declined to comment about the lawsuit.
You should also check out:
Amy Schumer Brilliantly Takes Down Rape Culture with a 'Friday Night Lights' Parody
A Documentary About Delhi's Brutal Bus Rape Gets Banned in India, BBC Releases It Anyway
Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Hollywood's Next A-List
You may not recognize all of them...yet. But these 22 individuals have delivered some of the most triumphant on-screen performances in recent memory.
By Neha Prakash
-
The Ambition Issue
A celebration of striving for success in whatever's most important to you.
By Marie Claire Editors
-
I Quit My Job as a CEO to Become an Intern
In an excerpt from her memoir, Alisha Fernandez Miranda takes a one-year break from her role as CEO at a consulting firm to try out the jobs she's always dreamed of doing.
By Alisha Fernandez Miranda
-
The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy
-
29 Nude Movies With Porn-Level Nudity
All the nudity of porn, but with the plot and storylines of mainstream film.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide
The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recast—again.
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Hasnat Khan, Princess Diana’s Boyfriend on Season 5 of ‘The Crown’?
Di’s friends have said she referred to the doctor as “the love of her life.”
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Penelope "Penny" Knatchbull?
She and Prince Philip strike up an unlikely friendship throughout the fifth season of 'The Crown.'
By Andrea Park
-
'The Crown' Season 5: Everything We Know
The bombshell fifth season just dropped on Netflix.
By Andrea Park
-
90 Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired By Movies and TV Shows
Most of these Halloween costumes double as stylish additions to your closet.
By Brooke Knappenberger