We are left with the feeling that we don’t know everything about this story. Apparently there was an angry mob insulting her? Why, exactly? Because of her mini skirt? C-om on this is in Brazil??? home of the donk country
SAO PAULO — A Brazilian woman whose short, pink dress caused a near riot at a private college led to her expulsion and transformed her into an Internet sensation now has permission to return to class.
Bandeirante University backed down Monday on its decision to expel 20-year-old Geisy Arruda following a flood of negative reaction in a nation where skimpy attire is common. Videos of students ridiculing her and making catcalls Oct. 22 turned up on the Web and drew attention to the event around the world.
Just hours after the Brazilian government demanded an explanation from the university, its dean released a statement saying he was reversing the school’s decision to expel Arruda.
The Education Ministry had given the university 10 days to clarify its reasoning for kicking out Arruda, who was forced to put on a professor’s white coat and was escorted away by police amid a hail of insults and curses from other students.
Arruda said just before the decision was issued that she was humiliated by the experience and was never warned by university officials that her dress was too racy, according to the private Agencia Estado news agency
“If a security guard or a professor had told me something I would have humbly returned home and changed my clothes,” she said, accompanied by seven lawyers at a packed press conference.
A video of the incident was posted on YouTube and quickly made headlines across Brazil. The university’s decision to expel the student Sunday prompted complaints from the national student union and the country’s minister in charge of women’s policy, among others.
The school is in a suburb of Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city, and prosecutors had said they would investigate what led to the decision to expel Arruda. The student had told reporters through one of her lawyers that she was going to sue the college so she could finish the semester.
The dean’s statement did not say why decision was being overturned.
Arruda and her lawyers could not be reached for comment on the school’s reversal, but in her interview ahead of the decision she said she wanted to return to school but was also scared about going back.
“I only want to go into the classroom, sit down, study and take tests,” she said.
Although Brazil is known for revealing clothing – especially in beach cities, where many bikinis are referred to locally as “dental floss” – most college students dress more modestly on campus, commonly in jeans and T-shirts.
The university published newspaper advertisements Sunday saying it expelled Arruda for disrespecting “ethical principles, academic dignity and morality.”
The ads also alleged Arruda acted in a provocative manner incompatible with the university’s environment.
University lawyer Decio Lencioni told Globo TV that the institution was merely following its rules.
“The problem is not her clothes,” he said. “It’s her behavior, her attitude.”
Lencioni and the university said Arruda even raised her dress and stopped to pose for photos the night she wore the short dress on campus. He said she also chose the longest way to get to class to attract the attention of more students.
Arruda vehemently denied the claim, saying, “It’s a big lie that I raised the dress,” Agencia Estado reported.
In Sunday’s ads, titled “Educational Responsibility,” the college said it had previously warned Arruda to change her behavior and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Arruda.
“I always dressed in a way that makes me feel good and that doesn’t offend anybody,” Arruda said during an interview with Brazil’s Globo TV. “I was always like that and was never recriminated by anybody.”
Civil police in the city of Sao Bernardo do Campo outside Sao Paulo, where the university is located, said they will investigate the students accused of heckling Arruda. The university said some will be temporarily suspended.
Arruda’s expulsion was condemned by Brazil’s national student union, the Brazilian BAR Association, and several other institutions.
The university’s original decision showed “intolerance and discrimination,” Brazil’s minister for women’s policy, Nilcea Freire, told the official Agencia Brasil news service.
UPDATE:Brazilian mini-skirt student allowed back into classes
A Brazilian woman whose short, pink dress caused a storm at a private college and led to her expulsion has received permission to return to class.
Bandeirante University backed down yesterday on its decision to expel 20-year-old Geisy Arruda after a public outcry.
Videos of students ridiculing her and making catcalls on 22 October were posted on the web drawing worldwide attention. Arruda was forced to put on a professor’s white coat and escorted away by police amid a hail of insults and curses from other students.
She was expelled on Sunday for what the university said was disrespecting “ethical principles and academic dignity and morality”.
However, just hours after the Brazilian government demanded an explanation from the university, its dean released a statement saying he was reversing the school’s decision to expel Arruda.
The university’s original decision showed “intolerance and discrimination”, Brazil’s minister for women’s policy, Nilcéa Freire, told the official Agencia Brasil news service.
Arruda said she was humiliated by the experience and was not warned by university officials that her dress was too racy, the Agencia Estado news agency said.
“If a security guard or a professor had told me something I would have humbly returned home and changed my clothes,” she said, accompanied by seven lawyers at a press conference.
A video of the incident was posted on YouTube and quickly made headlines across Brazil. The university’s decision to expel the student prompted complaints from the national student union and the country’s minister in charge of women’s policy, among others.
The school is in a suburb of Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city. Prosecutors had said they would investigate what led to the decision to expel Arruda.
The student had told reporters through her lawyers that she was going to sue the college so she could finish the semester.
The dean’s statement did not say why the decision was being overturned.
Arruda and her lawyers could not be reached for comment, but in her interview ahead of the U-turn she said she wanted to return to school but was scared.
“I only want to go into the classroom, sit down, study and take tests,” she said.
Although Brazil is renowned for its revealing clothing – especially in beach cities, where bikinis are referred to locally as “dental floss” – most college students dress modestly on campus, commonly in jeans and T-shirts.
The university published newspaper advertisements on Sunday saying it expelled Arruda explainign its decision, also alleging Arruda acted in a provocative manner incompatible with the academic environment.
University lawyer Decio Lencioni told Globo TV the institution was merely following its rules. “The problem is not her clothes,” he said. “It’s her behaviour, her attitude.”
Lencioni claimed Arruda even raised her dress and stopped to pose for photos the night she wore the short dress on campus. He said she also chose the longest way to get to the classroom to attract the attention of more students.
Arruda vehemently denied the claim: “It’s a big lie that I raised the dress,” Agencia Estado reported.
In Sunday’s adverts, titled Educational Responsibility, the college said it had warned Arruda to change her behaviour and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Arruda herself.
“I always dressed in a way that makes me feel good and that doesn’t offend anybody,” Arruda said during an interview with Globo TV. “I was always like that and was never recriminated by anybody.”
Civil police in Sao Bernardo do Campo where the university is located, said they will investigate students accused of heckling. The university said some would be temporarily suspended.
