DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Take Back the Night newspaper editorials and articles, 1982 | 1982-10-26 Des Moines Register Article: "The case of the reluctant reporter"

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Take Back the Night newspaper editorials and articles, 1982

1982-10-26 Des Moines Register Article: "The case of the reluctant reporter"

The case of the reluctant reporter

By TOM KNUDSON
Of The Register's Iowa City Bureau

IOWA CITY, IA - A reporter who said he was roughed up by several women when he tried to cover the women's rally in an Iowa City park asked the county attorney Monday to file assault charges against two of the women. 
Tim Severa, news editor of The Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa's student newspaper, said he was bumped and jostled by several of the women who then yelled obscenities at him and threatened him with castration before pummeling him with their fists and throwing him down stairs leading into the park. 
The incident occurred Satuday night in College Green Park - nicknames " Rape Park" by students - during a " Women Take Back the Night" rally. The rally was organized as a consciousness-raising meeting for women to talk about violence directed toward them. 
Severa, 26, said when he arrived at the rally he was confronted by two women who told him that men were not welcome. 
" I identified myself as a Daily Iowan reporter and this evidently aggravated them even more," Severa said. 
"Shining Flashlights"
He said he was soon surrounded by four or five women " who were shining flashlights in my face and bumping and jostling me around. One was yelling obscenities and degrading me for being a man and a member of the press. I was threatened with castration. 
" I told them I planned to be as inconspicuous as possible and that I would leave after the public speakers were through and the rally broke up into smaller discussion groups." Severa said. 
Severa said the women continued to shout obscenities at him and when he started to leave one of the women "made a half-hearted attempt to kick me in the groin. When I jumped to avoid the kick, three or four of the women grabbed me and a couple started hitting me in the shoulders," he said.
Severa, who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 180, said he didn't resist the women. " They dragged me about 50 yards to the exit of the park, ripping up both of my shirt sleeves and then threw me down the stairway."
Ironically, Severa said he is a strong advocate of the women's movement. " I can think of no better cause to support than exploring ways to reduce violence directed at women," he said.
Names Not Given 
Police Monday night said the names of the women Severa accused were not on the complaint form Severa filed and were not available Monday night. 
Severa and two other men filed complaints with the city after they were excluded from the rally. 
City manager Neal Berlin had written a letter to rally organizers before Saturday's rally telling them they could not exclude people from a city park. 
Organizers Tess Catalano and Amy Kratz could not be reached for comment Monday night by phone. 

Des Moines Tues 26/82

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The case of the reluctant reporter By TOM KNUDSON Of The Register's Iowa City Bureau IOWA CITY, IA - A reporter who said he was roughed up by several women when he tried to cover the women's rally in an Iowa City park asked the county attorney Monday to file assault charges against two of the women. Tim Severa, news editor of The Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa's student newspaper, said he was bumped and jostled by several of the women who then yelled obscenities at him and threatened him with castration before pummeling him with their fists and throwing him down stairs leading into the park. The incident occurred Satuday night in College Green Park - nicknames " Rape Park" by students - during a " Women Take Back the Night" rally. The rally was organized as a consciousness-raising meeting for women to talk about violence directed toward them. Severa, 26, said when he arrived at the rally he was confronted by two women who told him that men were not welcome. " I identified myself as a Daily Iowan reporter and this evidently aggravated them even more," Severa said. "Shining Flashlights" He said he was soon surrounded by four or five women " who were shining flashlights in my face and bumping and jostling me around. One was yelling obscenities and degrading me for being a man and a member of the press. I was threatened with castration. " I told them I planned to be as inconspicuous as possible and that I would leave after the public speakers were through and the rally broke up into smaller discussion groups." Severa said. Severa said the women continued to shout obscenities at him and when he started to leave one of the women "made a half-hearted attempt to kick me in the groin. When I jumped to avoid the kick, three or four of the women grabbed me and a couple started hitting me in the shoulders," he said. Severa, who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 180, said he didn't resist the women. " They dragged me about 50 yards to the exit of the park, ripping up both of my shirt sleeves and then threw me down the stairway." Ironically, Severa said he is a strong advocate of the women's movement. " I can think of no better cause to support than exploring ways to reduce violence directed at women," he said. Names Not Given Police Monday night said the names of the women Severa accused were not on the complaint form Severa filed and were not available Monday night. Severa and two other men filed complaints with the city after they were excluded from the rally. City manager Neal Berlin had written a letter to rally organizers before Saturday's rally telling them they could not exclude people from a city park. Organizers Tess Catalano and Amy Kratz could not be reached for comment Monday night by phone. Des Moines Tues 26/82