Geisy Arruda, Brazil Student, Expelled After Wearing Short Dress (VIDEO)

(AP) SAO PAULO — A Brazilian university has expelled a woman who was heckled by hundreds of fellow students for wearing a short, pink dress to class – publicly accusing her Sunday of immorality.

The private Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outside Sao Paulo, said 20-year-old Geisy Arruda disrespected "ethical principles, academic dignity and morality."

Bandeirante University published newspaper advertisements Sunday accusing Arruda of attending class with "inadequate clothing" and having a provocative attitude that was "incompatible with the university environment."

Arruda made headlines after the Oct. 22 incident, in which she had to be escorted away by police after wearing the mini-dress to class. She put on a professor's white coat and left amid a hail of insults and curses.

In the ad, titled "Educational Responsibility," the college said it had warned Arruda to change her behavior and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Arruda herself. It accused her of posing for pictures and provoking other students.

The university said it was also temporarily suspending some of the students who were seen heckling Arruda in a video of the incident that made the rounds on Youtube. It did not say how many were being suspended or how long they would be kept from attending classes.

Brazil's national student union released a statement on Sunday saying it was against the university's decision to expel Arruda, and Brazil's top official for women's policy, Nilcea Freire, told the official Agencia Brasil news service that the decision showed "intolerance and discrimination."

Although Brazil is known for its skimpy attire, especially in beach cities, most college students dress more modestly on campus – commonly in jeans and T-shirts. Some students had complained that Arruda seemed out of place in her revealing clothes, Brazilian media reported.

Comments

[Poorsarah]

She looks very fetching in her dress...nice legs!

[Eagleman]

I have lived in Brazil

It is a very male dominated society. Women do not have lead roles. They are either assistants or receptionist.

Occasionally I have spotted few female engineers and supervisors who are more of a token presence.

[leopu]

I think you are right, depending on the region you lived.
But don't forget there is a high probability of having a female president - there are three possible choices.
In certain sectors - such as Nutrition and Nursing, all the best professionals are women.
If you talk about engineering, that's wordlwide - even in England and Sweden, were I lived and currently live.
I am a Brazilian by the way.

[leopu]

Hi all,
As a brazilian (male) I can say a few things of what really happened on that day...
Obvisouly , she usually dresses like that and did that on different days at the university. On top of that it was a friday and many students go to university and later on go partying (straight after classes), hence her "seductive" clothing. Most of the guys there just wanted to create a fuss, take pictures to show to other guys and possibly pretend that dated her. In a blink of an eye it escalated to offensive behaviour. I have not seen brazilian girls use that kind of "seductive" clothing at university, in this way she "broke" a social rule. But nothing justifies the behaviour of the other students, Brazil is a free country and they should be legally liable for that. I do believe many of them created a fuss just to go partying earlier. Someone on this blog said brazilians (all the 190 Million) became 100% stupid. Ok...can we only say then that 300 million americans are violent and bloodthirst as per the Columbine shootings? Fair enough....

[Chelsea-Lyn Rudder - Huffpost Blogger]

This young woman was discriminated against. Check out my HuffPo blog on this topic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chelsealyn-rudder/sexism-masquerades-behind_b_352277.html

[Pem3]

Well if they have a dress code and she did not conform to it then she broke the rules not much more to say about it.

[elemental775]

She can come over to my house and I will be happy to home school her.

[Wonderwheel]

I think the key to understanding this story is that it occured at a private university of the kind where the ruling elites send their children. Just read the claim of "morality" as dressing like the upper class. This is a story about class warfare and the upper class saying that this woman was dressing too low class.

[GorillaThriller]

I'm confused why people at the university believe it's immoral for her to wear such a dress when nudity is acceptable at the beach. I can understand that they want a professional atmosphere but I don't understand where morality comes into play. The human body can only be seen outside?

[HadBetterDays]

"nudity is accepted at the beach" case closed, you answered your own question. It's a private school and they have a right to enfore dress code.

[Texas Aggie]

I saw that this was a private university and wondered if it were fundamentalist Catholic, but it's web page says it has no religious affiliation. My wife suggested that the guys abusing her were threatened either because their girl friends might decide to dress like her or because she was in some predominantly male course of study. I don't know what to think, but when I lived for a year in Brazil (Mato Grosso), what she was wearing wouldn't have been noticed.

[Kid from Rio]

As someone raised both here in the US and also Rio let me get my 2 cents in.
Although Brasil has a growing Evangelic (estimated at 30 % of the voting pop.) this was not the case in this incident. I have been reading the news from Brazil and it seems that a group of girls followed her from the bathroom back to class and started banging on the door and calling her names.
Seeing the chaos that was starting others jumped on the bandwagon and started messing with the girl. From one of the many interviews she gave it seems that those inside the class room were as surprised and scared as she was with the situation given that according to her she has used more revealing dresses before without issue.
Given the Brazilian attitude toward sexual violence I believe she was in no great risk specially given the police presence. In my opinion given her humble background in a well-off college campus this is probably a case of social prejudice. Although in recent years anti-racism laws and affirmative action have taken its dent in combating racial prejudice the same can't be seen when dealing with the poor
The Brazilian society as a whole has supported her and her choice to wear whatever the heck she feels like wearing

[CheMiRacconti]

I can't believe that she got expelled & yet the students who were yelling that they wanted to rape her were only suspended.

[jesusangelgarcia]

The morality police are everywhere. Quick, lock up your children. But first... a Brazilian wax. Where's my thong?

badbadbad.net

[LoveOverGold]

Big deal. Did these people miss the sixties? Kinda nostalgic isn't it?

[seattle music]

She wanted attention.

She got attention.

[closerthanuthink]

Oh Please! Come on!! This is Brazil - not that we're all running around naked, but the dress is in no way over the top - or the bottom, if you wish! She wanted attention? Seriously??? You do know they called her every name in the book, threatened to r-a-p-e her? I mean, if she was outside she might have been stoned!! She's been dressing that way since the semestre began - the so called "warning" the faculty reps gave her is pure BS! She rode the BUS to get to the university and no one protested! Fact is it's a private faculty, and she's the daughter of a metalworker and hot to boot - some folks just couldn't stand that (my opinion)! Maybe she pissed off some "playboy" (that means spoiled brat over here), or some "Patricinha" (spoiled brat - female version!!) In any case much a-do about nothing, but the "morality police" have to be straightened out - whenever and wherever! And FYI, seems the faculty is backtracking now - as well they should!

[rooks]

This would make so much more sense in English.

[Sceptile2390]

If you spoke more than just English you would have understood. *Not Seeking argument!*
Being trilingual, English, Spanish and French, I understood the majority of the news report, its amazing to see all the similarities between Spanish French and Portuguese!