Backlash on Gang Rape Story in "Rolling Stone"
LEMON: Three national Greek organizations calling for an apology and the immediate reinstatement of all fraternities and sororities on the University of Virginia campus. Last month, UVA shut down all Greek operations in the wake of an explosive "Rolling Stone" article detailing a brutal gang rape at a fraternity house. But now discrepancies in the alleged victim's account are being brought to the surface. And "Rolling Stone" magazine is apologizing for running the article without getting the other side of the story. The attorney for UVA's Phi Kappa Psi fraternity tells CNN that several details in the article are just wrong. He says records show there was no party the night Jackie claims she was attacked, there's also no side staircase inside the frat house, which the article states Jackie walked down after the attack, and the frat brother who allegedly brought her there was never even a member of Phi Kappa Psi. John Foubert is the former assistant dean at UVA and a professor at Oklahoma State University. And John, the alleged victim still stands by her story, "Rolling Stone" has retracted the article so should fraternities and sororities be allowed to operate on campus again?</s>JOHN FOUBERT, PROFESSOR, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY: Well, I don't believe "Rolling Stone" retracted the article, I believe that they put a statement on it that questions some parts of the original reporting. But when the University of Virginia told the fraternities and sororities not to operate until the end of the semester, essentially, that was one week between Thanksgiving and final exams so, no, they absolutely should not reinstate operations and I think it's patently offensive for national fraternity to demand an apology after it -- there's substantial evidence that a gang rain occurred in their house now and frankly someone went to prison for a gang rape in that house years ago. So, I find it deeply offensive.</s>LEMON: Do you think that witnesses -- their accounts or cases are being swept under the rug, John?</s>FOUBERT: Do I think accounts of witnesses are being swept under the rug?</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>FOUBERT: By whom?</s>LEMON: Just by the university or maybe even by "Rolling Stone"?</s>FOUBERT: Well, no, I don't think "Rolling Stone" is sweeping anything under the rug. I think, you know, I think one of the members of the board of visitors at the University of Virginia publicly said that they were sweeping things under the rug for a long time, paraphrase of her statement. But I think we need to be honest about the problem of rape on college campuses and that the other thing is we have to stop assuming that if there's a different way a survivor tells a story at different times that that somehow that means that she's lying. If it, you know, if I told you and I told two other reporters the same story, I'm going to tell it a slightly different way based on the questions I'm asked. Just because someone tells some minor details of the story a little differently at different times that doesn't mean they're lying. That, frankly, means they're human.</s>LEMON: Can I ask you, because we're just getting this that Emily, who is a suitemate of Jackie, is now writing in the student newspaper and is saying that she believes -- she said "I fully support Jackie and I believe whole heartedly that she went through a traumatizing sexual assault." I remember my first semester here, I remember Jackie's. And then she goes on. So she has support from her suite mate who knew her during the time that this happened.</s>FOUBERT: Right. So, she has that support and I think that's evidence for her case, certainly, that, you know, someone who lived with her, saw that there was a trauma that happened right afterwards. I mean that's certainly not a surprise.</s>LEMON: Well, it's new. I mean her suitemate is now writing for the first time. And speaking out for the first time. I wanted to get your reaction on that. So what kind of damage, though, does this story do to other victims, if at all? Victims of sexual assault?</s>FOUBERT: Well, it does lots of damage in the sense that what women are so hesitant to do is to come forward and say "This is what happened to me." And when you see a survivor who is honest about what happened and the national fraternity attacks her and then other reporters attack her and it seems like the whole world is ganging up on her, the message that sends to survivors is "Shut up and don't say anything." And we need to stop saying that message. We need to create an environment where it's OK to say I was gang raped, I need help. So I think all of the noise around right now questioning her account is just -- it's silliness but it's also deeply tragic.</s>LEMON: Thank you, John Foubert, I appreciate it.</s>FOUBERT: Thank you.</s>LEMON: Still to come, on the issue of race, progress has been made in the U.S. Those words coming from President Obama even as he acknowledges there's still work to be done. But how will his words be received by the American public? We'll talk about that next.