Purdue Staffer Quits Amid Furor Over Online Comments

Jamie Newman quit his job as an accompanist for the dance program at Purdue University amid an uproar over comments he posted online about rape, The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported. Newman posted comments on anti-abortion websites or anti-abortion groups' Facebook pages -- and members of those groups took the comments as rape threats. Newman said he was not being literal but was objecting to the tactics of the anti-abortion groups. When people demanded that Newman be fired, Purdue investigated but said there wasn't enough evidence to charge Newman with a crime, even if "the speech was repugnant and inconsistent with Purdue values." The university issued several statements condemning Newman's statements and confirmed Monday that he was no longer an employee.