Two female students from Valencia College have filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were essentially
forced to undergo transvaginal probes by their college instructors as part of their training program.
The women
allege their grades suffered when they complained, they were told they "could find another school if they did not wish to be probed," and the chair of the school's program made sexually suggestive comments to the women as they underwent the procedure.
People should NEVER be coerced into situations where their bodily autonomy is compromised. Please sign the petition to demand President Shugart conduct a thorough, independent investigation into this program's policies and to discipline any Valencia College instructors who are found to have coerced students into this procedure!
The allegations spelled out in the lawsuit are horrific. The women say they were required to undress in a bathroom, cover up in towels, and cross the classroom in front of other students.
“In some cases,
the student would have to sexually ‘stimulate’ plaintiffs in order to facilitate inserting the probe into plaintiffs’ vaginas,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit also claims that Barbara Ball, chair of the college's Sonography Program, told one of the women during a probe that she was “sexy” and should have been an “escort girl.”
The alleged policies of Valencia College are inappropriate. We stand with the women who filed the lawsuit.
While the suit plays out in court, please sign the petition to demand President Shugart conduct a thorough, independent investigation into this program's policies and to discipline any Valencia College instructors who are found to have coerced students into this procedure!
