‘Mattress Girl’ case: Man falsely accused of rape wins settlement from Columbia

Columbia University has settled a lawsuit from Paul Nungesser, the alumnus who was famously and falsely accused of sexual assault in what came to be known as the case of “mattress girl.”

Emma Sulkowicz, his fellow student, told the University administration and the world that Nungesser raped her. She protested the school’s handling of the case, which they dismissed, by carrying her mattress with her everywhere – even as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma.

Although dismissing the allegations of rape, Columbia gave her academic credit for the performance art piece, titled “Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight).” It was Paul, however, who had to carry the weight of Emma’s false accusation.

Investigations by both Columbia University and the New York Police Department (NYPD) cleared Nungesser of wrongdoing. Text messages between Paul and Emma show Emma as the pursuer – the astoundingly creepy pursuer, who sent Paul explicit and pleading messages.

According to the Columbia Spectator, “Nungesser’s suit charged that the University failed to protect him from—and even encouraged—sustained protest by Sulkowicz, which Nungesser initially argued was a violation of Title IX.”

In short, the school knew Nungesser was innocent, but rewarded and even aided his public shaming by helping Sulkowicz carry out her art.

Sulkowicz’s performance, and the accusation on which it was predicated, attracted nationwide attention. To the casual observer, it looked like a brave young woman was exposing a university that failed to respond to sexual assault. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand even invited Sulkowicz as a special guest to the 2015 State of the Union Address. The National Organization for Women (NOW) named her a “Woman of Courage” in 2016 and bestowed to her the Susan B. Anthony Award.

Nungesser, the real victim, received no accolades for his tenacity. He’ll be awarded some amount of money, but that’s all. No court settlement can give him back his college years. Nungesser will never fully reclaim his name from this scandal. The Google search results that every future employer, roommate, girlfriend, you-name-it will see when they search him all paint him as an accused rapist.

Sulkowicz, on the other hand, continues to enjoy a performance art career after “Carry That Weight” launched her to national prominence. Her recent projects include posing as a fake therapist and being tied to a faux ship’s mast in bondage gear while another performer insulted her. Both made strong political statements; the first, a nod to safe spaces, and the second, an insult to President Trump.

Of the latter project, Sulkowicz told Broadly, “If our country is falling to pieces and you have artists running around saying they’re political artists, but really their art is hanging on a sinking ship, the ship is still sinking.”

Columbia University will pay Nungesser an undisclosed amount in retribution for allowing his reputation to be ruined. As for Sulkowicz, she’s still reaping the benefits of a “performance art” career that started with a lie.

Read more at http://redalertpolitics.com/2017/07/20/mattress-girl-case-man-falsely-accused-rape-wins-settlement-columbia/#LCPy1kYB8LKcqRYX.99