A swimming instructor at the University of Virginia was investigated by the university after she told a female student to wear a tampon during a swim lesson.
According to a report by The College Fix, a female student at UVA reported her swimming instructor after the instructor told her to wear a tampon in the pool during a swim lesson.
A female student at the University of Virginia asked her swimming instructor if she could skip her swimming lesson because she was on the third day of her menstrual cycle. The instructor encouraged the student to wear a tampon and proceed with that day’s lesson. Shortly thereafter, the student reported the instructor over her response via the university’s “bias and harassment program.”
“I am not ashamed of the fact that I am a woman and I have the period. But I don’t think it will be sanitary for me to swim during my period, especially during the cold season,” the student wrote in the complaint, which has since been published online. “I understand that some people are stronger than me and they can swim whenever they want. But I can’t.”
“I want to clarify that I DON’T feel embarrassed. But I do feel a lack of physical strength and cramps when it comes. I think she needs to understand that NOT EVERYONE IS AN ATHLETE!” the complaint continued.
It is not clear at this point if the instructor was disciplined over the remark. However, it would not be the first time that someone has faced consequences for an innocuous comment made on a campus.
Breitbart News has reported extensively on the rise of “bias incident” reporting systems. Although such systems are widespread, they are facing legal pushback at many schools. Breitbart News reported in October, that the University of Michigan agreed to shut down its “bias incident” reporting system as part of a settlement with a non-profit organization that defends First Amendment rights.