Name: UWM instructor and retired Wisconsin Air National Guard colonel apologizes for her comments about slain soldier
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UWM instructor and retired Wisconsin Air National Guard colonel apologizes for her comments about slain soldier

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Milwaukee Journal SentinelA retired Wisconsin Air National Guard colonel and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee instructor says her social media posting about a slain female soldier's sexual harassment allegation was taken out of context.One day after Betsy Schoeller was sharply criticized for her Facebook comments about Spc. Vanessa Guillen, the retired colonel released a statement through UWM saying she offered her sympathy to all victims of sexual assault and harassment.Her words Sunday were far different from ."You guys are kidding, right? Sexual harassment is the price of admission for women into the good ole boy club. If you're gonna cry like a snowflake about it, you're gonna pay the price," Schoeller wrote in response to a posting from someone asking how and why Guillen's death happened.Schoeller said Sunday in her statement that she did not mean to imply that this is how she feels."I was giving voice to the messaging that women hear in the culture of sexual harassment: The message we receive from the culture is not only will you suffer from sexual harassment, if you squawk about it, you will suffer even more."Because it isn’t just the sexual harassment. That’s just the beginning. Then comes the agonizing decision about reporting. Or not reporting. The pressure applied by friends who know about it and only want to help. Having to ultimately stand up to that culture of sexual harassment on your own."Schoeller is a senior lecturer at UWM's School of Information Studies&nbsp;where she earned a bachelor's degree, master's of library science and information and Ph.D. She has taught at UWM for 23 years. On Saturday UWM released a statement via Twitter saying the school does not condone Schoeller's remarks but could not regulate the private speech of employees.Among Wisconsin campuses, UWM has the largest number of students who are veterans, including many post 9/11 military members earning degrees through&nbsp;the G.I. Bill.In a phone interview Sunday night with the Journal Sentinel, Schoeller said she feels terrible that her words were misconstrued.“I take full responsibility for what I wrote, but my intent was never to point fingers or call names. I wasn’t pointing to any specific person. I was responding to why did this happen? How did this happen?&nbsp;Because we still live in a culture of sexual harassment,” she said.Schoeller said she was sexually harassed while serving in the military.“I have not experienced the type of sexual assault that so many women have but I have experienced sexual harassment in the military. I have been in positions both in the military and UWM to support women who have been sexually assaulted and sexually harassed.”By 6:30 p.m. Sunday, more than 123,000 people had signed a started on Friday by a UWM student, calling for Schoeller to be fired from her UWM job.Schoeller retired in 2017 as a colonel in the Wisconsin Air National Guard. She served 23 years in the Air Force, Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard with the last five years with the 128th Air Refueling Wing based at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport and Air National Guard headquarters in Madison.&nbsp;The Guard said on its Facebook page Saturday that her comments were "tasteless and insensitive."In her statement released Sunday, Schoeller said she was "shocked and saddened" her Facebook post was "interpreted out of context." She said she has seen the toll sexual harassment takes on individuals and entire military units."The point I was making is that this is what women are facing in a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny."It’s not easy to be a woman in the military. Not easy at all. There are some men who have adapted to the idea of working alongside women, but there are just as many who have not," said Schoeller.Schoeller said in a phone interview that the veterans website has private and public sections and she thought she was posting her remarks in the private part of the site."When you look at my comment, I was not talking about one person specifically. I was only voicing that message that we get as women. Being called names. Being called 'sissy' and any derogatory&nbsp;term you can think of," she said."I want to fight the problem. I want to honor Spc. Guillen and work for change. I'm really not important here. What's important is her legacy," said Schoeller.Schoeller said she has seen attempts to rid the military of a harassment culture including training people to guide victims through the process, sensitivity training, focus groups, role playing, films and discussions, sometimes as often as every six months."Always hoping that the next thing will be the one to make a difference. Somehow there was always one more case. Now (Spc.)&nbsp;Guillen was dead. And I knew why. Because the culture of sexual harassment was still alive and well, despite our best efforts." in the parking lot of her barracks at Fort Hood in Texas, the largest active duty U.S. military base in the world. she told them she was being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants at Fort Hood.Last week shortly after&nbsp;remains believed to be Guillen's were found near Fort Hood, a soldier who was a co-worker of Guillen committed suicide when police confronted him.

Milwaukee Journal SentinelA retired Wisconsin Air National Guard colonel and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee instructor says her social media posting about a slain female soldier's sexual harassment allegation was taken out of context.One day after Betsy Schoeller was sharply criticized for her Facebook comments about Spc. Vanessa Guillen, the retired colonel released a statement through UWM saying she offered her sympathy to all victims of sexual assault and harassment.Her words Sunday were far different from ."You guys are kidding, right? Sexual harassment is the price of admission for...

UWM instructor and retired Wisconsin Air National Guard colonel apologizes for her comments about slain soldier

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