Cincinnati Professor Facing Public Indecency Charges

No, the professer did not drop trou in public and scare a bunch of students. According to a report, Michael Sanders, a University of Cincinnati instructor, secured a permit and took his media class to a park where they videotaped some nude dancing. The incident sparked a raid by Park Rangers of the Electronic Media Department.

They suspect the allegations of nude dancing in public could qualify for a charge of indecent exposure. According to park rangers, it's public indecency to be nude in a park.

A statement released by the rangers confirms much of what 9News first reported. Search warrants were obtained for UC Electronic Media Center Director Michael Sanders offices at Raymond Walters, as well as at his home and his personal vehicles. The Rangers said Sanders has been uncooperative in their investigation and that's why officers got a search warrant.

Take note that nobody lodged a complaint against the professor - the nude dancing was apparently seen by a park ranger who basically scared the class away.

Now I have no idea what the project was that required the videotaping of a nude subject, but I am on the side of the Professor - the rangers have absolutely no right to interfere with his class unless there is a specific complaint lodged by a student. Unless there is evidence that there was some sort of inappropriate sexual behavior involved, the law needs to back off.

I went to art school and drew nudes for 2 years. It never crossed my mind that the law could suddenly come bursting in and confiscate our work. The academic world needs to have freedom of expression without fear of the thought police.

If Spencer Tunick can photograph 500 naked people in full public view, by contrast a media class should be able to videotape a single nude person in a secluded area.

Professor Sanders has not been charged with any crime and the incident is still under investigation. Ranger Captain Speckelmeier said,

"We just want like to view the video tape and the pictures. We want to make sure there wasn't any type of criminal activity that was on the film."

Since there is a total absence of any allegation of "criminal activity", the park rangers appear to have no case.

UPDATE: Another story on this incident reports that the videotaping took place at 11 PM with a hired model. Sanders apparently told the ranger that the class was working on a "mythological tale". This is a case of extremely overzealous law enforcement.

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