Dear Editor:This letter is in response to the opinion piece in the October 29, 2007 issue of the Activist entitled “Professor Michael Sanders: not guilty.” Although the author is entitled to her opinion, there are many inaccuracies in the “facts” as they have been printed. We are professional staff in Electronic Media Communications and were all at the filming in Sharon Woods assisting Mike Sanders with the project so we can present the facts as they really happened.
In the order the inaccuracies appear in the opinion piece:
1. “An RWC professor is arrested after he and a group of his students are in a park at night by a small fire, videotaping a girl….” No one was arrested on that evening or at any other time, nor was anyone even detained or questioned that evening about our activities. We taped at a stream, not a fire, and the model was an adult woman (a professional model) not a child (girl).
2. “After a Park District Ranger spotted them, he, of course had a few questions to ask.” The ranger did not question us that evening.
3. “Unfortunately Sanders could not produce the permit, so the Park ranger arrested him.” Mike Sanders and Lou Olenick both had copies of the permit with them, but the ranger declined the offer to view the permit. Again, no one was arrested.
4. “Asked to produce the videotape and proof of the woman’s age that was being filmed, Sanders refused….” The ranger did not ask for the tapes or identification. He did not take license numbers of our vehicles and did not conduct any police work. Mike Sanders was asked to provide this information at a later date, but due to personal privacy issues surrounding FERPA, he did not provide the names or information about students present nor the model.
5. “…the nude model, who is a student here at RWC.” The professional model, who also models at the Cincinnati Art Academy, is not an RWC student.
6. “After finding nothing, Michael Sanders and his lawyer turned over the woman’s driver’s license….” Signed and notarized affidavits, along with the professional model’s driver’s license, were provided long before the search warrants were signed and executed. The affidavits confirmed that everyone present at the filming were adults.
Opinion pieces must be based on facts. We appreciate the writer’s opinion that Professor Sanders did nothing illegal or inappropriate, and that she did not take on the sensational slant of the local media. It appears that her piece is based on previous items in the media, which were often sensational and were not, in this case, based on accurate and thorough research.
Sincerely,
Bill Boyle
Studio Lab Manager
Lou Olenick
Program Manager
Andrea Rahtz
Graphic Designer