Online petition seeks removal of senator from Baldwin hall of fame
Senior Julia Gaetano began a petition to have Sen. Hatch removed from Baldwin’s Distinguished Highlander Alumni Hall of Fame posted outside the gymnasium.
October 15, 2018
Senior Julia Gaetano has started an online petition to remove Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch from Baldwin’s Distinguished Highlander Alumni Hall of Fame, but administration has no plans to do so.
Gaetano said she was compelled to start the petition after seeing a viral video in which Hatch responded to a group of women, later identified as including some sexual assault victims, by waving them off and saying he would talk to them when they “grow up.”
“I was spurred by Orrin Hatch’s behavior,” Gaetano said. “He did not act in a dignified way towards the sexual assault survivors, especially for a senator, and I don’t think that kind of behavior should be displayed on a wall of accomplished alumni.”
Gaetano said she was made aware of opposition to Hatch’s behavior and the idea of removing his plaque from the alumni hall of fame through tweets from other members of the Baldwin community.
The petition, at Change.org, states: “The Distinguished Highlander Alumni Hall of Fame should serve as an example to students on what to strive for and honor those who represent the values of our community. Senator Orrin Hatch may be a notable figure, but he has not practiced the dignity, respect, or conduct that Baldwin aims to promote and embody. This is not about partisan politics, but about disrespectful behavior that negates fame.”
As of Monday afternoon, the Change.org petition had 78 signatures.
A spokesman for Hatch told the Washington Post that the viral video does not include the first half of the encounter between Hatch and the protesters, and that none of the women had identified themselves as sexual assault survivors during the confrontation.
Superintendent Dr. Randal Lutz said the video was not complementary to Hatch, and it was not “a good look” for him. However, Lutz also pointed out that the video does not contain the entire encounter between Hatch and the protesters.
“The challenge is that we don’t know the rest of the story,” Lutz said. “Sometimes things can be edited to show one side of the story.”
There have been no talks in the administration to remove the plaque, and Lutz said he does not believe that a 30-second video carries enough weight to overshadow Hatch’s entire career.
Lutz said he had no problem with the petition itself, and that he was glad to see students taking a political position and defending their point.
“We’re trying to teach kids advocacy here. She disagrees and is trying to convey her thoughts,” Lutz said of Gaetano.
Lutz said that the way Gaetano is advocating is respectful, and that he gives her credit for doing so in such a manner.
Students, meanwhile, were divided on the petition.
Senior Angela Miller, who signed the petition, agrees with Gaetano.
“I am a firm believer that there is no place on a wall of fame for an assault sympathizer. He doesn’t deserve that kind of recognition,” Miller said.
Others said they disagreed with the online petition.
Seniors Alex Kindling and Nate Hobson said Hatch should apologize to the protestors, but that he should remain in the hall of fame, with his photo on the wall in the second-floor hallway with all the other notable alumni.
“I believe that he should stay on the wall. He made an immature comment, but I don’t think that his name should be removed from the wall because of it,” Hobson said.
Kindling agreed.
“I don’t agree with what he said, but at the same time it’s not about good alumni but our famous ones. The recognizable name should stay up,” Kindling said.
Even if the petition is unsuccessful, though, Gaetano said it will have served a purpose.
“I don’t know if the plaque will be taken down, but it will show that the Baldwin community doesn’t stand for this kind of behavior,” she said.
The petition is online at: https://www.change.org/p/superintendent-randal-lutz-remove-orrin-hatch-from-the-the-wall-of-distinguished-highlander-alumni-hall-of-fame
Andrew Dobelstein • Nov 8, 2018 at 2:19 pm
As one of the few remaining graduates of the Class of 1952 I think it is fair to say that Orrin and I were best friends. We double dated together worked in a gas station after school together, stayed at each others houses, took classes together, and conducted a number of high school pranks together. I was Orrin’s “campaign manager” for Senior Class President. Over the years we have stayed in touch when I had business in Washington. Over the years my relationship with Orrin began to sour, beginning with the Anita Hill hearings, when it became clear that he was more interested in furthering his own career than providing the kind of moral fortitude we shared in those innocent days.
Well before the Kavanaugh hearings Orrin had become a pawn in the army of ultra-conservative pundits. He has strayed so far from his humble beginnings and the teachings of his church that he is no longer recognizable to me as my dear friend. Earlier I had written Orrin and asked him to stand up for the values he and I shared, but he never answered me.
I feel a great sadness for Orrin and what he has become, and a feel a great loss for our youthful friendship. Perhaps his memorial should remain to remind graduates of Baldwin High, my much loved high school, of the perils that fame and money wait to destroy the character of successful youth as they struggle through this challenging world.
Yours is an ambitious undertaking forged against the very forces that have led to Orrin’s downfall. I wish you success, and I hope your efforts bring a message to your peers that respect once hard won is too easily lost for want of things that have no lasting value.
Andrew Dobelstein, Ph.D. / Baldwin High, ’52
Professor Emeritus
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Joey Baldwin • Oct 19, 2018 at 9:00 am
Frivelous nonsense based on nothing.
Grow up snowflakes!
Colleen Owens Brennan • Oct 15, 2018 at 7:54 pm
Class of 1969. This man has a deplorable attitude toward women. Please remove his photo ASAP.