LSU’s leaders’ atrocious, life-threatening blunders have blown up in their faces recently following the USA Today article, the Supreme Court’s rejection to provide them immunity from taking responsibility for Max Gruver’s death and now — almost comically — the locally beloved LSU Tigers exhibit the ultimate hubris with a “self-imposed” ban from this year’s participation in a bowl game.

This “noble” decision by higher-ups was meant to be a demonstration of self-discipline — one can only assume. However, this blatantly disrespectful attempt at “taking responsibility” for the horrific situations at hand was not just meaningless to the victims and their families, but just laughable for anyone that has watched a single LSU game this year. The Tigers, with a 3-5 season, would never even be considered a contestant in a bowl game. And then, in somewhat sassy preteen-like behavior, LSU (with multiple investigations still pending with NCAA and SEC) just up and decided that they could be the judge and jury and sentence their own punishment?

Meanwhile, at home base, nobody seems eager to hold LSU or individuals involved responsible for their actions. As an LSU undergraduate, I feel a lot of emotions and yet sadly I don’t see this mimicked around me. LSU is a local blackhole engulfing millions of dollars from the community and scholarly enthusiasts — and for what, you ask? To pay for better lab equipment, building renovations, professor salary increases? No. They are spending these funds on multiple attorneys to help them solve their problems.

LSU’s problem is that it took over two hours for someone to even mention the sexual allegations made in a board meeting this month. LSU’s problem is that is it quicker to respond to an active abuser’s text than a victim’s pleas for justice. LSU’s problem is that it sought federal protection for killing one of their students. LSU’s problem is that the football locker room receives more attention than the university library or any other building on campus.

LSU’s problem is that at its core, it is a place that encourages eager parents to send their children with the hopes of their safety and growth — and yet, the truth that they have made so clear, is that they do not care if your child ever comes home again.

They don’t care if you can no longer go to class because your abuser is in your class or you don’t have a good internet connection at home. They don’t care if you haven’t heard from your son in three days. They genuinely do not care about the value of human life — just the value of a dollar.

MORGAN RUMSEY

student

Baton Rouge