A TikToker used a viral sound to call out the college she attends for prosecuting plagiarism more often than it prosecutes sexual assault.
Taylor (@taylorholtt48) posted a TikTok on Aug. 31 in which she stated that her college “[excuses]” sexual assault, but “[draws] the line at plagiarism.”
“You can excuse [sexual assault]?” Taylor wrote in her video’s overlay text.
The TikTok uses audio from NBC’s Community in which a character says that she can “excuse racism” but that she “[draws] the line at animal cruelty.” In response, another character says “you can excuse racism?”
On Wednesday, Taylor’s video had over 830,000 views.
@taylorholtt48 f u paul #fyp #foryoupage #sapphic #lesbian ♬ original sound – matmat__
Both plagiarism and sexual assault on college campuses are usually punished via campus tribunals, even though the latter is a crime and the former is not, as explained by Martha Nussbaum in her 2021 book “Citadels of Pride: Sexual Abuse, Accountability, and Reconciliation.”
“These tribunals often do their job poorly,” Nussbaum writes.
Commenters identified with Taylor’s video and suggested that the scope of her critique spanned “all colleges,” rather than just the one she attends.
“Especially when it’s an athlete,” @convinsky commented.
“Especially when it’s a frat,” @rosie.needs.a.nap wrote.
“Not just colleges,” @emily_mills_1 commented. “But high schools and middle schools too.”
Other commenters shared stories of the ways in which institutions mishandled claims and accusations of sexual assault.
“Mine which has a GIANT lawsuit spanning over 25 years against them,” @carrottop.steph commented.
“Our school’s president just resigned after it came out that she was funneling our tuition money to pay a lady hush money for her husband [sexually assaulting] her,” @camkirt wrote.
“My assaulter who had 3 other title nine reports was spotted on campus,” @larsthebar commented. “LIKE HOW ARE U STILL HERE.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Taylor via TikTok comment.
