Sheriff Ron Abernathy Drops Out Of UA "Sexual Assault" Forum
By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 13, 2017
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 13, 2017
Controversial Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Sheriff Ron Abernathy has decided to drop out as a featured speaker at the September 14, 2017, University of Alabama forum on "Sexual Assault on Campus". Abernathy has been under fire from victims rights groups for his misconduct in a rape case involving University of Alabama honors student Megan Rondini.
Megan, 20, accused Terry Jackson "Sweet T" Bunn, Jr., 34, of raping her during the early morning hours of July 2, 2015, at his Cottondale residence. Sweet T, who did not know Megan's name or anything else about her, claims he engaged in a "consensual" sexual encounter at his house because a "flirtatious", "outgoing", and "friendly" Megan lusted for his body.
Evidence in the case strongly suggests that Sweet T administered the "date rape" drug GHB to Megan prior to the sexual encounter. After the sexual encounter, Megan made a frantic escape from Sweet T's house by jumping to the ground from a second story bedroom. She promptly reported her rape to hospital staffers and the police.
Organized by the UA Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the "Sexual Assault" panel will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Room 159 of Russell Hall on the UA campus. The panel is open and free to the public. A reception will immediately follow.
In addition to Sheriff Ron Abernathy, other named panelists include:
1. Madeline Anscombe, President of Not on My Campus;
2. Courtney Cross, Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction and the Director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at UA;
3. An unnamed representative from the UA Title IX Office; and,
4. Zoe Winston, Peer Education Programs Coordinator, UA Women and Gender Resource Center
2. Courtney Cross, Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction and the Director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at UA;
3. An unnamed representative from the UA Title IX Office; and,
4. Zoe Winston, Peer Education Programs Coordinator, UA Women and Gender Resource Center
Dr. Ariane Prohaska, an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UA will moderate the panel. Dr. Lesley Williams Reid, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice announced the "Sexual Assault" forum in a September 5, 2017, email to undergraduate students.
Justice for Megan Rondini advocacy groups openly questioned Ron Abernathy's inclusion on a panel of legitimate and distinguished experts who will be discussing the prevention, reporting, and prosecution of sexual assault crimes.
Whether intended, or not, the "Sexual Assault" forum would have provided Sheriff Abernathy with an unearned opportunity on the UA campus to cleanse and rehabilitate his soiled reputation in the Megan Rondini rape case.
Why Sheriff Abernathy is a "Dirty" Cop in the Megan Rondini Rape Case
In the span of 59 minutes, Sweet T (a) picked up Megan Rondini while she was walking home from Innisfree Irish Pub on University Boulevard, (b) gave her a ride home, (c) had drinks at her apartment, (d) traveled to his Cottondale home, and (e) had "consensual" sex with Megan before she texted friends for urgent help in escaping from the scene of the crime.
When Abernathy's investigators first questioned Sweet T about the rape charge, he flatly denied that Megan had been to his house. After talking to his lawyer, Sweet T changed his story to say he had a "consensual" sexual encounter with Megan at his house.
During his third interview with police, Investigator Josh Hastings provided Sweet T with an innocent explanation for this 180-degree change in his storyline, which Sweet T eagerly adopted. Hastings ended this interview by telling Sweet T: "The way I look at, man, if it was me on the other side of it, I would want you to do the same for me."
By July of 2015, Sweet T enjoyed a "street" reputation in Tuscaloosa for using GHB on young coeds. He had also been designated as a "suspect" in several reported rapes.
Local law enforcement officials privately refer to Sweet T as a "dirt bag" who preys on young college women in local bars and clubs. He is a known sexual predator who happens to be a member of a wealthy family that is well connected to the Crimson Tide football program and Sheriff Ron Abernathy.
After Sweet T was identified as the suspect in Megan Rondini's rape case, Sheriff Abernathy ordered his investigators to "script" her rape case. They dutifully complied with this directive by downgrading Megan's rape case to a non-prosecutable "Special Inquiry".
Investigator Adam Jones even threatened Megan with criminal charges while she was reporting her rape. Megan bravely fought back and pressed forward so that there would be on record of her rape on file for future rape victims.
Sheriff Abernathy's office never tested Megan's rape kit or urine sample for the presence of GHB, despite obvious signs that Sweet T had drugged her on the night in question. The failure to test Megan urine for the presence of GHB ensured that her case would not be prosecuted.
Abernathy's Misconduct in Megan Rondini's Rape Case is Unforgivable
Megan's rape case was "fixed" under the direction and supervision of Sheriff Ron Abernathy to help Sweet T escape criminal justice. Megan's case represents the second time Abernathy directly intervened on behalf of Sweet T after a drug-induced rape had been reported to police. By engaging in this kind of misconduct, Abernathy placed his loyalty to the Bunn family above his sworn duty to protect and serve rape victims.
In return for "fixing" Megan's rape case, Abernathy got a pat on the head from the Bunn family and special skybox access to Crimson Tide football games. His conduct in this regard is unforgivable.
Megan Rondini was victimized twice in her rape case. First, Sweet T victimized Megan by forcing her to have sexual intercourse against her will. Sheriff Abernathy victimized Megan again by "scripting" the rape investigation in her case in order to free Sweet T from criminal prosecution.
Epilogue
On February 26, 2016, an emotionally exhausted and despondent Megan Rondini committed suicide.
Sweet T is still trolling local bars looking for 18, 19, and 20-year-old coeds to pick up for one-night stands. The police audiotape of his July 2, 2015, interview reveals a cold, emotionally detached, depraved, arrogant, and dangerous sexual predator who exhibited no remorse for his conduct in Megan's rape case.
Sheriff Abernathy, who runs for re-election next year, is privately exploring whether to sacrifice Adam Jones and Josh Hastings in order to save himself from defeat at the polls and from a possible prosecution on obstruction of justice charges.
The University of Alabama's president and board of trustees have aligned themselves with Sweet T, who is still welcome on campus. Like the top administrators who turned a blind eye toward the disgraceful sexual abuse at Penn State University several years ago, these University of Alabama officials are simply hoping that Megan's rape case will quietly go away. It will not.
Rape victims won a key victory when Ron Abernathy dropped out of the "Sexual Assault on Campus" forum. This action came less than a week after the Justice For Megan Rondini advocacy group held a groundbreaking and successful September 8, 2017, vigil for Megan in a city where drug-induced rapes committed by rich and powerful men are tolerated by (a) all of local public officials, (b) The University of Alabama's top officials, and (c) a handful of "dirty" law enforcement officers.
