ari ous ▁Life : ▁The ▁Pow ers ▁of ▁M our ning ▁and ▁Vi ol ence . ▁ ▁Av ital ▁Ron ell ▁sexual ▁har ass ment ▁case ▁On ▁May ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Butler ▁led ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁in ▁writing ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁following ▁the ▁sexual ▁har ass ment ▁suit ▁file d ▁by ▁a ▁former ▁NY U ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁against ▁his ▁ad visor ▁Av ital ▁Ron ell . ▁The ▁sign ator ies ▁acknowled ged ▁not ▁having ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁confident ial ▁find ings ▁of ▁the ▁investigation ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁Title ▁IX ▁compla int ▁against ▁Ron ell . ▁Non eth eless , ▁they ▁accused ▁the ▁comp lain ant ▁of ▁w aging ▁a ▁" mal icious ▁campaign " ▁against ▁Ron ell . ▁The ▁sign ator ies ▁also ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁pres umed ▁" mal icious ▁intention ▁has ▁animated ▁and ▁sust ained ▁this ▁legal ▁night m are " ▁for ▁a ▁highly ▁regarded ▁scholar . ▁" If ▁she ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁terminated ▁or ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁her ▁duties , ▁the ▁in just ice ▁would ▁be ▁widely ▁recognized ▁and ▁opposed ." ▁Butler , ▁the ▁chief ▁sign atory , ▁invoked ▁her ▁title ▁as ▁President ▁Elect ▁of ▁the ▁Modern ▁Language ▁Association . ▁James ▁J . ▁Mar ino , ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁Cleveland ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁M LA , ▁started ▁a ▁pet ition ▁to ▁demand ▁Butler ' s ▁res ignation ▁or ▁removal ▁from ▁her ▁post . ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁" Pro testing ▁against ▁one