Written by: Jane Bush
On October 20 just twenty-four hours before the team was expected to play against Michigan
State, the University of Wisconsin’s women’s volleyball team’s celebration photos of their
previous victory were leaked. The Wisconsin Police Department is investigating multiple crimes
such as the unauthorized consent of distributing images, and the police are not looking into how
it could be student related. The University of Wisconsin’s number one priority is to protect the
minds of their students and team players. The police investigators have done a poor job truly
trying to find the culprit, but in a more positive setting, the university is doing everything they
can to make students feel safe and supported.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the photos were taken from inside the team’s
locker room. In addition, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discovered that one photo appeared to
be taken after Wisconsin volleyball won the Big Ten championship last season. The photos were
never meant to be seen by the public. In Wisconsin, the law states that any Class A misdemeanor
to post a private photo without consent can result in a maximum fine of $10,000 and nine months
in prison.
The University of Wisconsin is doing an impressive job at turning this scandal into a way
to make students and players feel safe. According to shadowleague.com, the University’s top
priority is to support their student athletes and provide them with the correct resources.
According to usatoday.com, the coach of the women’s volleyball team, Kelly Sheifield, has
drawn headlines and is proving that they are a powerhouse. While keeping their players more
positive, the more confident they will feel while playing. As the University of Wisconsin
continues to support their students, the police department is lacking on finding out who or what
led the photo to get leaked to social media.
The Police Department has failed to give the public additional information about the case.
They have failed to find the culprit thus far. Such an invasion of privacy demonstrates the
severity of the situation, further representing the urgency of the law enforcement. Nobody should
have to go through such an invasion of privacy. It is wrong and something that police should
look out for more. According to foxnews.com, the investigation is still ongoing after a month of
the players waiting for an answer. Also according to foxnews.com, the police department won’t
give any additional information to the public. The Wisconsin Police Department is lacking in the
expertise of finding out who the suspect of these leaked photos were. As well as failing to give
the public any solidification.
Some people are led to believe that the Wisconsin Police Department is doing a well
enough job carrying out the case. According to berkleybeacon.com, the police department is still
investigating, but they aren’t investigating the student-athletes. This can lead the women’s
volleyball team to gain more confidence, which isn’t true because they still feel violated having
their pictures spread across the internet. According to kiro7.com, the badgers social media has
only posted one post regarding the safety of their students. People may be led to believe that the
University isn’t doing enough to reach the goal of supporting their students, but they are. As said
in the third paragraph, the coach of the team has done a wonderful job at keeping her students
confident.
Overall, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team faced an immense amount of backlash
since the scandal. The Wisconsin Police Department is not letting information get to the public
and they have been lacking about finding the suspect. The police’s investigation is still ongoing,
but the University is giving the team the support that they need. Schools need to support their
students on the daily in order for students to feel like they are in a safe environment. Unity is
important and this is what these schools are doing in times of crisis.
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