Aug. 6, 2015
We apologize for this morning’s tweet from Vanderbilt Athletics. We deeply regret sending it and clearly failed to consider all of its implications before doing so. The phrase “We don’t need your permission” was condensed from a larger statement and intended as a message to motivate our players and fans and to address those who have doubts about the football team’s competitiveness this season. A staff member shortened the statement for Twitter, failing to recognize how the abbreviated tweet could be interpreted.
The Athletics Department, as part of the larger Vanderbilt community, recognizes that sexual assault occurs far too frequently on campuses with devastating effect. Sex without consent or permission is always wrong and not accepted at Vanderbilt.