Attention Mascots (and teams with one)

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by PizzaBoxZombie

At robotics world championships this year, some of you made me very uncomfortable. I had mascots refuse to let me pass without a hug and who touched me without permission. I had a few very bad mascots who groped me.

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A certain mascot high-fived the team member I was walking with in the pits and as I tried to walk past, grabbed me from behind, hugged me full on, and whispered, “This is all your fault,” into my ear. It was a very creepy (and honestly almost rape-esque) thing to say. I was shaking when I walked back into our pit.

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~I also had a student comment off-hand about the number of times she was groped this year by mascots- the fact that this number is anything but zero is a problem.

To be blunt, this type of unwanted groping is known in most jurisdictions as sexual assault. Unfortunately I've heard many stories like this from students at FRC events, both with mascot and non-mascot perpetrators (often kids giving out "free hugs", with hands that both linger and wander). I know there's a tendency to try and ignore this behaviour in an effort to avoid creating a scene, or inviting unwanted attention. However, this is serious stuff that needs to be reported so it can be stopped. I urge anyone who is a victim or witness to anything like this to please report it to a trusted mentor or volunteer at the event. FIRST has detailed policies and plans to deal with these types of situations, but unless someone is notified, they cannot be brought into action.