Hackney calls for JIO probe of 'Pig Penn'

During yesterday's University Council meeting, Hackney charged Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman with investigating the 45-minute show, aired October 2, during which the hosts split a bottle of tequila, discussed oral sex in explicit detail and showed pictures of nude men and women. The president requested that Goodman pay particular attention to the portion of the show where hosts identified first-year women by their name and face from the Freshman Record and put one woman's voice on the air without her knowledge or consent. Hackney said that he shared the University community's "deep revulsion" at the show's contents. "I really feel for the two women involved," Hackney said. "When [the hosts] were engaged in what they thought were fun and games, they may have affected the lives of other people." The hosts and producers -- Wharton senior Vincent Fumo and College senior Richard Rothstein -- called two women, reaching one on the air. They put the student's voice on the air, commented on her appearance and asked if she would agree to go on a date with one of them. UTV's executive committee fired Rothstein and Fumo and canceled Pig Penn the day after the show premiered. Hackney commended UTV officials for their "swift" action, saying after the meeting that the station management "moved in a very responsible way." Rothstein said last night he was sorry if the show offended anyone, adding that the hosts did not mean to harass the women. But he said he did not understand the furor over the show. "Would it be construed as harassment if a woman called me on a show and said that my picture was attractive and if I were so in real life?" Rothstein said. "I very much doubt it . . . I don't think that it's making people feel vulnerable by telling them they look attactive in their face book picture." Fumo could not be reached for comment last night. Fumo, son of Pennyslvania state senator Vincent Fumo, changed his phone number within the past week. JIO Goodman said yesterday that she will begin her investigation this morning by viewing the show and by talking with Station Manager Dianne Rekstad for more information. "Depending on what I find in the tape I will go forward with the investigation," Goodman said last night. But it is unclear how Goodman will obtain a copy of Pig Penn because few copies exist. Rothstein said last night that he does not have a copy of the show. UTV officials could not be reached for comment last night and it is not certain whether UTV owns a station copy. Hackney said yesterday that he asked JIO Goodman to investigate the show after reading partial transcripts of the show and a guest column, both of which ran on the editorial pages of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

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