MA-1: Morse accused of inappropriate sexual relations with college students

[Figueira]

I’ve read and reread the article, and I’m conflicted. Seems very carefully worded to imply but avoid actually saying:
 - That anyone has accused him of using status to pressure College Dems, or anyone, into sex
 - That he sexually harassed/propositioned anyone via Instagram DM or otherwise
 - That he had sex with any of his students

The worst thing that’s directly alleged is that he slept with students at the college, which is apparently a violation of UMass policy but not this massively awful ethical breach people are making it out to be. There’s definitely a weird power dynamic between elected officials and College Dems, but (again) all that’s directly alleged is that he hit people up to talk and put them on his Close Friends when they weren’t comfortable with it.

Whole thing just seems very weird. Not sure who’s “right,” or if anyone is.

Actually it's not, unless they were his students or he advised them or anything like that.

[Mike Thick]

I’ve read and reread the article, and I’m conflicted. Seems very carefully worded to imply but avoid actually saying:
 - That anyone has accused him of using status to pressure College Dems, or anyone, into sex
 - That he sexually harassed/propositioned anyone via Instagram DM or otherwise
 - That he had sex with any of his students

The worst thing that’s directly alleged is that he slept with students at the college, which is apparently a violation of UMass policy but not this massively awful ethical breach people are making it out to be. There’s definitely a weird power dynamic between elected officials and College Dems, but (again) all that’s directly alleged is that he hit people up to talk and put them on his Close Friends when they weren’t comfortable with it.

Whole thing just seems very weird. Not sure who’s “right,” or if anyone is.

Actually it's not, unless they were his students or he advised them or anything like that.

Good catch.

Effective immediately, faculty are prohibited from entering into a sexual relationship with any student or postdoc for whom the faculty member has any responsibility for supervision, evaluation, grading, advising, employment, or other instructional or supervisory activity. Relationships that predate the policy or that began before the faculty member assumed the responsibilities, the relationship must be disclosed to the faculty member’s immediate supervisor and, if possible, give up the supervisory or instructional responsibilities.

[Morning in Atlas]

I'm more concerned about the bigoted trust fund baby running in MA-4, but that's just me.

[Left Wing]

I'm more concerned about the bigoted trust fund baby running in MA-4, but that's just me.

Who is that?

[Morning in Atlas]

I'm more concerned about the bigoted trust fund baby running in MA-4, but that's just me.

Who is that?

Jake Auchincloss, who is famous for comparing the Confederate flag to the BLM flag and advocating for Quran burning.

[Alben Barkley]

Why do so many of these “progressive” challengers turn out to be creepy pervs?

[Continential]

Why do so many of these “progressive” challengers turn out to be creepy pervs?

Having relations with adults is creepy.

[redjohn]

This is obviously homophobic fear-mongering. Not a single complaint except people feeling uncomfortable because he added them to his close friends list on IG? That hardly makes him a bad person or a predator.

The age of consent is 18. Power dynamics are certainly important, and if he used his position (as an educator, specifically) to force students into doing things they didn't want to do, that would make him an awful person.

But he didn't do that and hasn't been accused of it. This is such a non-scandal.

[Morning in Atlas]

Why do so many of these “progressive” challengers turn out to be creepy pervs?

Why do so many "progressives" gladly go along with this homophobic hit-job?

[Morning in Atlas]

If a straight woman has her sex life outed, she did nothing wrong and her sex like should remain private (rightfully so, as I've said ever since this incident happened).

If a gay man has his sex life outed, he's automatically assumed to be a deviant and he needs to drop out.

Deeply disturbing stuff, folks. Glad to see my neighbors to the south are so ready to embrace anti-gay stereotypes in order to protect one of their own.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Here’s a thought:  Maybe instead of playing the boy who cried homophobia, you guys should stop making excuses for folks like Jon Hoadley and Alex Morse and focus on electing progressives who aren’t despicable scumbags.

[Continential]

Here’s a thought:  Maybe instead of playing the boy who cried homophobia, you guys should stop making excuses for folks like Jon Hoadley and Alex Morse and focus on electing progressives who aren’t despicable scumbags.

I didn't know that having relations with adults is bad.

Jon Hoadley is different from Alex Morse.

[Lognog]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

[Continential]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

If the relations was consexual, it should be allowed. There is 30K students in UMass.

[new_patomic]

Two things can be true

This shows Alex Morse generally doesn't have the sort of judgement that you'd want in a Congressmen. Democrats don't need someone who in their thirties is still pursuing college students, even when totally consensual.

But also that doesn't mean he's a sexual predator, abuser, assaulter, or used his position to coerce others into sex (until otherwise proven or substantially alleged). The Globe said one of the examples apparently provided by the letter is of someone who only became uncomfortable with their encounter after finding out he's a lecturer and a mayor. There needs to be more.

[Continential]

Two things can be true

This shows Alex Morse generally doesn't have the sort of judgement that you'd want in a Congressmen. Democrats don't need someone who in their thirties is still pursuing college students, even when totally consensual.

But also that doesn't mean he's a sexual predator, abuser, assaulter, or used his position to coerce others into sex (until otherwise proven or substantially alleged). The Globe said one of the examples apparently provided by the letter is of someone who only became uncomfortable with their encounter after finding out he's a lecturer and a mayor. There needs to be more.

He's 31, so barely over 30.

[Lognog]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

If the relations was consexual, it should be allowed. There is 30K students in UMass.

consent is not the same when you are a student and a professor at college you go to is making advances on you, or you're a college democrat trying to make your way up the ranks and the icon of the organization is making advances on you.

Denying those advances could result in the power that person has over you being used against you. the conflict of interest is clear. It's simply not consent if it's under pressure

[MaxQue]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

If the relations was consexual, it should be allowed. There is 30K students in UMass.

consent is not the same when you are a student and a professor at college you go to is making advances on you, or you're a college democrat trying to make your way up the ranks and the icon of the organization is making advances on you.

Denying those advances could result in the power that person has over you being used against you. the conflict of interest is clear. It's simply not consent if it's under pressure

A teacher in another department has no pressure on you.

[Mike Thick]

https://twitter.com/collegedemsofma/status/1292521048861220864?s=21

[Adam Griffin]

Zoomers really are the f[inks]king worst. You'd think anybody - regardless of age or taste - would learn to stop entertaining the idea of physical or emotional intimacy with them. That's Morse's biggest misstep here out of the explicitly-articulated reporting I've seen thus far.

"I've spent my whole life online and socially awkward from a lack of human interaction - I HAVE THE RIGHT to not ever feel uncomfortable in ANY social situation!". In retrospect, this is perfectly reflected in why the pre-2010 teenage Atlas community transformed from c[inks]k-destroyers into the post-2010 Atlas community of priests, virgins and incels.

[Morning in Atlas]

Here’s a thought:  Maybe instead of playing the boy who cried homophobia, you guys should stop making excuses for folks like Jon Hoadley and Alex Morse and focus on electing progressives who aren’t despicable scumbags.

Or we could cut the neo-Puritanical BS and stay out of consenting adults' bedrooms.

Even better, we could stop trying to straightsplain homophobia to Adam and redjohn.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

This isn't sexual assault. Be more proper about the terms you use.

[Lognog]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

If the relations was consexual, it should be allowed. There is 30K students in UMass.

consent is not the same when you are a student and a professor at college you go to is making advances on you, or you're a college democrat trying to make your way up the ranks and the icon of the organization is making advances on you.

Denying those advances could result in the power that person has over you being used against you. the conflict of interest is clear. It's simply not consent if it's under pressure

A teacher in another department has no pressure on you.

That's simply not true, people at the university have a lot of sway over their departments and research direction

[Lognog]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

This isn't sexual assault. Be more proper about the terms you use.

That's fair, I should have said the party supporting survivors

[MaxQue]

I'm sorry but the Democratic Party can not be the party talking about sexual assault while supporting people who use their position of power for sex. I don't care about the age difference, what UMass policy is, and I certainly do not care about the sexuality. It is not homophobic to say that people with leverage at institutions like universities and student orgs should not go after the people attending them.

If the relations was consexual, it should be allowed. There is 30K students in UMass.

consent is not the same when you are a student and a professor at college you go to is making advances on you, or you're a college democrat trying to make your way up the ranks and the icon of the organization is making advances on you.

Denying those advances could result in the power that person has over you being used against you. the conflict of interest is clear. It's simply not consent if it's under pressure

A teacher in another department has no pressure on you.

That's simply not true, people at the university have a lot of sway over their departments and research direction

What? You say I'm wrong and then restate exactly what I said.