MILWAUKEE (AP) — A University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee lecturer is under for making comments about the death of U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillen.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Betsy Schoeller, a former Wisconsin Air National Guard officer, posted comments on Facebook about Guillen’s death, saying sexual harassment is the price of admission for women in the military and “if you’re gonna cry like a snowflake about it, you’re gonna pay the price.”
Guillen, 20, disappeared at Fort Hood in April. Remains of what’s believed to be Guillen’s body were discovered Tuesday in Central Texas. Federal and military investigators say fellow soldier Aaron David Robinson killed and dismembered her. Robinson killed himself Wednesday as police were trying to contact him.
Guillen’s family has said they believe Robinson was sexually harassing Guillen. Army investigators have said there’s no credible information proving those allegations.
UW-Milwaukee student Emily Cruz started a petition on Friday demanding UW-Milwaukee fire Schoeller. The petition has nearly 15,000 signatures.
“As a woman, and a student at UWM I feel unsafe knowing that we have professors who think the sexual assault of women serving in the military is justified,” Cruz wrote.
University officials tweeted that Guillen’s death is horrifying but they can’t regulate its employees’ private speech.
