For University of Minnesota, Chinese Tycoon’s Arrest Shines Light, Again, on Sexual Assault

Gotta feel sorry for these billionaire Chinese tech tycoons and how apparently hard it is for them to hide their 'sexual indiscretions ' while hanging out in Western countries. This isn't the first time Mr. Lui has been associated with sexual assault issues. He hosted a high flying debauch type party in a Sydney, Australia, penthouse in 2015 where one of his guests was convicted of sexual assault. Again the victim, a model, was 'couldn't stand up' drunk when assaulted. President Xi has discouraged this kind of conspicuous consumption and high profile excessive indulgence overseas, as it doesn't look good for business . Apparently he has a bit more work to do on that image problem. And again, women need to take care re allowing themselves to be set up by these powerful wealthy degenerates. Don't be naive. Don't be a victim. And for god sakes , don't get falling down drunk at a posh, alcohol soaked, party of rich international tech tycoon jerks who have nothing but your exploitation in mind.

Why is this newsworthy? It appears from the article that positive steps were taken by the accuser and the university, in that Ms. Bai from the university called the police when notified about the accusation by the accuser, and encouraged the accuser to also contact the police. Rape is a criminal offense, so it makes sense that the county attorney is now reviewing the case.

What a sorry state of affairs for American universities. Given the US government's neglect they suffer and ever higher costs, they increasingly become shady merchants selling degrees, sports, and sex, not to mention the scientific and technological patrimony built by generations of scholars and American resources.

Once again popular opinion finds Liu guilty before charged, not AS charged. He has not been charged and no evidence is known, yet one student said the university should have taken a stand? Without evidence or process they should take a stand. Why? Because a woman accused him. That's enough. And a commenter rhetorically asks "Which is more important? Making money or caring about assault victims?" Of course, nobody knows if the accuser is a victim at all. But that doesn't matter. Let's just say she is because she says she is. And just last week several accusers of Kavanaugh recanted their accusations which were full of holes. They were not victims or survivors though they claimed they were. It's frightening that public judgements of male guilt are made before due process and evidence are forthcoming, and this is claimed to be correcting injustice.

What if she get pregnant? will case get closed immediately due to traditional eastern family relationship ?

The University of Minnesota was once an august institution of higher education, but this pandering to the wealthy exposes a complete lack of morality, apart from what is required of it.

The university is “put into an impossible situation” because the program draws so much money. Not impossible - just make a choice. Which is more important? Making money or caring about assault victims? A) money B) assault victims It’s not impossible to make a good choice here.

Is U Minn the reincarnation of trump university...the question is open...

Richard Liu's wife's name is Nancy Zhang. It's odd that neither the reference to her in the last paragraph, nor the cutline of the photo of her and her husband, included it.

Our mascot, Goldy is looking for a way to get into the witness protection program. The departing U of M President will be happy to leave this sordid level of academia without wearing too much of this self-inflicted disaster. Of course, his fingerprints are all over this one, largely in the pursuit of easy money on China's and other wealthy countries' dime. Funny how when you look for shortcuts to financial health, they always seem to bite back. Hard. Look how well we are making out sharing our bed with the odious NCAA. Are you paying attention Coach Fleck, Coach Pitino?

At least the taxpayer didn't subsidize a degree from the now discredited Trump U. business school. What a sham and intellectual shanty higher education and its entire framework has become in the money-grubbing boardrooms! The hypocrisy of it all: The University of Minnesota's motto is: "Commune vinculum omnibus artibus" - "A Common Bond for all the Arts". I'd add a capital "F" to their "Arts": covering up sexual predators. FAILED!

Right now, the Times is playing the game "Jump to Conclusions" and it really should stop. First, Mr. Liu has not been charged with any crime. He was arrested, then released less than 24 hours later and allowed to leave the country. Not exactly consistent with a supported allegation of rape. Second, there are only a handful of people who know the actual facts, and none are providing any comment on the record. Third, we do not know what crime(s) are currently being investigated by the Hennepin County DA. There is a presumption that the crime of rape is still being investigated, but maybe it is an investigation into the allegation. Fourth, to that point, who is the unnamed "executive" who allegedly invited the accuser to dinner, and what is the background of his "assistant"? We understand that the Times does not name an alleged rape victim, and rightfully so. But what about a key witness? What company does this "executive" and his assistant work for? To the point, has anyone considered the possibility that this was an attempted shakedown / extortion of a wealth Chinese man? Is the real story here that by bringing in wealthy foreigners to a single location for a published one week onsite program in a relaxed, casual environment, the U of M is actually providing fertile hunting grounds?

@fish out of water. Mr Liu, HOSTED the party in 2015 in a Sydney, Australia penthouse where another guest, Mr. Xu, was charged and convicted of sexual assault. Mr. Liu requested that the Australian press not publish his name as the host of the party, and that request was denied by an Australian court. But he was not the one accused of assault.

Strange how the article was written, with the details of the assault burried at the bottom under acres of background material. If he's guilty, good luck getting this guy to come back and face justice in the US. He's got all the money in the world and US-China relations are at their lowest.

Is there anything money does not buy?

I'm sorry but the word that comes to my graduate degree- holding mind is "pig."

Once again, too drunk to stay out of harm’s way. Both parties are at fault. We arrest people for drinking and driving. Why not start arresting people for drinking and not being able to act responsibly? The destruction caused by these people has no bounds. With every engagement I’ve been to or have hosted, in my life, those who drink too much become a problem and a liability for everyone else. The damage can be as severe as a drunk who gets behind a wheel of a car and drives. We’ve got to start discouraging this incredibly destructive behavior and stop protecting those who do it. We’re not their parents/guardians.

Old trick---(planned ahead)--"get her drunk and take advantage of her"...in this case, all the power was in the hands of the very powerful. The student-volunteer was at a great disadvantage. The question for the other people in the group--who facilitated this rape? The person who made her sit next to him. He may have known that the billionaire requested it. Who else facilitated it? Who wasn't drunk? How about the limo driver? Weren't there any people from the university program with the partiers?

Why was he released from jail as he been accused of a 2015 assault in Australia. I believe her.

Money talks, justice walks. No matter what.

The case “puts the university administration in an impossible situation” as it tries to simultaneously protect its students and its reputation, said Kristen Houlton Shaw, the executive director of the nonprofit Sexual Violence Center in Minneapolis.... "The program he’s participating in is a major moneymaker — it brings in these highfliers and heavy hitters from around the world,” she said. There is nothing impossible about this. The university has an obligation to protect its students from predators - even if they are "high fliers and "heavy hitters." It's outrageous that a director of an anti-violence organization would imply otherwise. Unless she's been misquoted or quoted out of context by the NYT. “Their prospective students are watching.”

When you wine and dine a high roller and then set a young lady next to him it seems you set up this possibility. He likely thought it was like many nights in his life, and perhaps the university thought she would be silent like so many others. It's not surprising that it comes out of a business school. Business as usual.

Astonishing that not for profit universities get away with charging such astronomical fees. These programs are the cash cow of the institution. Outrageous!

So rich men are generally philanderers, no matter what country and what culture. What does that say about his "wife" smiling and holding hands with a rapist husband. Never mind, our First Lady does the same thing, so maybe we should not judge other countries when our own house is crumbling...

Attending a royal wedding in UK with wife is a nice touch. Money talks and opens many doors.

Simultaneously protecting its students and its reputation is only an impossible situation for the university administration if the administration has no interest in a reputation for protecting its students. Why do the authors of this article, or Ms Shaw of the nonprofit Sexual Violence Center, imply that protecting the university's students would damage its reputation? I know it sounds like I'm asking a rhetorical question, but it has an actual answer. Because we live in a rape culture, all the more so on university campuses. A culture these authors are perpetuating, perhaps unintentionally, in the pages of the New York Times.

The case “puts the university administration in an impossible situation” as it tries to simultaneously protect its students and its reputation, said Kristen Houlton Shaw, the executive director of the nonprofit Sexual Violence Center in Minneapolis. It's not an impossible situation. You protect the victim from someone who surely believes he can get away with assault due to money and influence.

Wow--a wine bill of more than $3,600! That detail alone reveals the wealth of the parties in question. Care for a glass of a $135 Croze XV Cabernet? Incredibly, they spent $1,893 on very fine wine...and then went back a couple hours later for $1,729 in refills!

The University of Minnesota is running a Casino for high rollers. Two systems, one for local students and one for rich overseas students, in other words ‘Pay-to-Play’. This is the new normal for Universities starved of funds by taxpayers who cannot connect the dots between funding higher education and a healthy tax base. So they cheat. Next, cranes dot the campus, all those new buildings going up! Next, professors are told to pass students who plagiarize their papers because they are too valuable to loose. The U of M administration should look up how that works at universities in Australia. Or maybe they already have done that.

Money can't buy love, but it sure can buy " justice ". Why was this person allowed to leave the US ??? Because he was " only " arrested, and not yet Charged ??? WHY not ? If I had a Daughter at this University, SHE would quickly become a FORMER Student. That's what it will take to make all Schools accept responsibility for their actions, or inaction. Seriously.

Paying cash? Come on in. The latest craze for Universities is to grossly overcharge internationals so University officials/professors can fatten their wallets, ignoring any risk to the University's reputation. Chinese is their favorite target. In some cases the quality of the program is questionable. For example, there is a M.S. in Financial Economics at one of the flagship state universities in Texas. (no names mentioned on purpose). The program charges an additional "program fee" $3000 beyond the international student fees tuition etc. About 90% of the 100 students are Chinese. All cash paying customers, none receiving the typical graduate stipend. The department uses a obscure survey to claim that is one of the top 5 programs in the U.S. when the graduate program in general (including phd's ) is NOT in the top 35 programs as ranked by U.S. News. None of the faculty have expertise in Financial Economics. None publish in the area. There is no placement program. No seminars. Huge class sizes (60+). The money from the program is not funneled back into it to improve the program or hire faculty, but rather shared by all the departments in Liberal Arts. Hence nobody wants to raise a red flag about risk to the University's reputation.

The shame of this episode is that the University of Minnesota has entered the market place. Here is a land grant university selling it's degree for money. And, it seems all the student really gets at this campus, is one week of classes, and entertainment, the academic work is done in China.