Ableism, ambiguity, and the Anna Stubblefield case

Abstract

This article discusses the ongoing case of Anna Stubblefield, a former Rutgers University philosophy professor who was convicted of the sexual assault of an African American man with cerebral palsy. On appeal, the conviction was reversed, and as of this submission Stubblefield is awaiting news from the state of New Jersey Supreme Court as to whether there will be a retrial. This piece engages with Sherry's article in this journal, and dissects the many layers of ableism at play in this case, arguing that justice will not be served until the alleged victim gets to be heard.

Something is happening: encountering silence in disability research

“…We relied on each other’s stories to find out what silences teach us about ableist research production. We theorized silence’s meanings knowing that disabled people are silenced through biopolitics and compulsory able-bodiedness [1], including violent, mainstream conceptions of what is, and is not, communication, as well as what is, and is not, worth knowing (Couser, 2001; Snyder and Mitchell, 2006; Mintz, 2017).…”

“…Our approach to this thinking is informed by the reflexive nature of the field, and the ways in which it is informed through research and activist “justice struggles” (Rice et al , 2019, p. 415). Others have focused on how people are (and are not) allowed to express their stories (Kinloch and San Pedro 2014; Mintz, 2017). Further, a growing literature on voice attends to the silences that qualitative researchers encounter.…”

Ethical considerations when conducting research with people with nonverbal autism: A commentary on current processes and practices

“…This literature asserts that there is no scientific evidence that supports the authenticity of these communication methods; that the messages are authored by the facilitator; that they cause harm to the users; and that facilitators lack training and qualifications (e.g., Travers, Tincani, Thompson, & Simpson, 2016). The risk of abuse by facilitators has been sensationalised by cases such as that of Anna Stubblefield (Mintz, 2017) and some cases of alleged sexual abuse (Margolin, 1994;Shane, 1994) that were reported via a communication device.…”