It has come to our attention that IU jazz student Chris Parker, who has previously been suspended from Indiana University on sexual assault charges, has returned to IU and the Jacobs School of Music to pursue a degree and is active in the local Bloomington music scene.
Per the details published about Parker in the Indiana Daily Student, as current and former students of the Jacobs School of Music and IU, we express our utmost disappointment in Parker’s continued presence in Jacobs.
We are concerned for the safety of young musicians who deserve to pursue their education without being in the presence of a sexual assailant. We also encourage musicians in Bloomington and elsewhere to refuse Parker’s presence at shows, concerts and other musical functions, on stage or otherwise.
Those in power must be willing to risk their status and their privilege for the sake of victims of sexual assault. We believe survivors of sexual assault and stand in solidarity with them to demand the Jacobs School of Music and Indiana University be held accountable for this egregious offense.
Signed,
Matthew Zion Babineaux
Will Barnard
Tyler Bauer
Nate Bercovitz
Lucille Berk
Hayden Blankenship
Kyle Brooks
Andrew Brown
Alex Dura
Elena Escudero
Connor Evans
Hannah Fidler
Zachary Finnegan
Eric Garcia
Lianna Gekker
Rachel Gehr
Tanner Guss
Bruno Rafael Gutierrez
Nick Jackson
Brennan Johns
Hannah Johnson
Alyson Kanne
Brendan Keller-Tuberg
Victoria Knudtson
Grace Leckey
Abby Malala
Evan Main
Hannah Marks
Rocky Martin
Matthew McConahay
Andrew Meyer
Joey Miller
Zoe Murphy
Elleka Okerstrom-Drew
Shailey Ostlund
Michael Paik
Kyle Paul
Camila Mennitte Pereyra
Jake Pressman
Ellie Pruneau
Jacob Richter
Matthew Daniel Riggen
Jameson Scriver
Megan Searl
Stefanie Sharp
Kathryn Sherman
Mitchell Shiner
Garrett Spoelhof
Kat Sylvester
Joseph Trahan
Philip Wailes
Sarai Warner
Matthew Waterman
Kaitlyn Williams
Ben Woolgar
