Kansan office vandalized following article controversy

This Sunday, a Journalism faculty member discovered angry messages painted on the windows of the Kansan newsroom. The vandalism was apparently in response to an article in the October 27 "Jayplay" section of the Kansan. The article, about toilet training a cat, referred to the two men interviewed for the story as merely roommates. They are partners as well.

James Foley, the articles writer, said he knew the two men were a couple but felt it wasn't relevant to the story.

"I knew they were gay," Foley said. "But I didn't feel like it was, it had anything to do with the story and I didn't feel like it was my place to disclose that, you know, to the entire student body so I purposefully, I purposely left it out."

David Ta one of the two men interviewed for the story said he was surprised to see his relationship status left out in the original article. Ta said he wasn't upset though until he read an article in the Kansan last Monday about the controversy that he said poorly portrayed the gay community.

"If you interviewed, like say a straight couple, they would mention that they were boyfriend or girlfriend," Ta said. "And I think that it's very homophobic of the Kansan."