James Bone in New York
Win a fitness package worth more than £3,000
A New York lawyer has gone to court in a bid to shut down Columbia University’s women’s studies programme as part of his “jihad” against feminism.
Roy Den Hollander, a graduate of the Ivy League university’s business school, contends Columbia’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender is discriminatory and unconstitutional because there is no equivalent “men’s studies” programme.
In a class action suit in federal court, he calls the women’s institute “a bastion of bigotry toward men.” “The Feminist agenda, curriculum and practices at Columbia... are motivated by prejudice toward men that leads to sex-based stereotyping of males by depicting them as the primary cause for most, if not all, the world’s ills throughout history. Females, on the other hand are credited with inherent goodness who were oppressed and colonized by men,” the suit says.
The class action is the final move in a trio of lawsuits by the self-proclaimed anti-feminist, who was once married to a Russian stripper.
Mr Den Hollander is suing New York’s top nightclubs for charging women lower entrance fees on “Ladies’ Nights” and offering them free drinks.
He has also taken issue with provisions in US immigration law that allow foreign women to remain in America after divorcing their US husbands by alleging abuse.
“The long-range goal of my law suits is that I am, in my own small way, trying to give all those feminists equality - not the equality of all the best in life, but the equality of the worst in life.
“Make them register for the draft, make them go to war and die, make them work in the worst occupations,” he said.
“They do not want equality. They want preferential treatment. It’s just the same old pedastal. they say, ’I am a female. I want to be the CEO of a company.’ I want to be on a pedestal.” A former associate of the prestigious Cravath, Swain & Moore law firm, Mr Hollander married to a Russian woman he met while working in Moscow as a private investigator and brought her to America.
But he is now determinedly single after divorced her when she began working as a stripper at a club in New York.
“Now all I am looking for is superficial temporary escapades with pretty young ladies,” he said. “It’s harder than it was when I was younger. I only go after girls who are in their athletic prime. But it’s okay.” Mr Den Hollander’s suit against the New York nightclubs began when he went in search of such women after his divorce. He found that many clubs offered women cut-price entry.
The club-owners call the suit frivolous - and Mr Den Hollander has complained that it has been assigned to a female judge.
But Vanessa Elliott, a lawyer representing the AER Lounge, noted in court papers that men like Mr Den Hollander might actually benefit from the Ladies Night policy because they attract more women.
“Under this theory, male customers may actually benefit from ladies’ nights in other ways and be encouraged to attend the club on those nights,” she wrote.
In his latest lawsuit, Mr Den Hollander wants Columbia University to either shut down the women’s studies institute or open up an equivalent one for men’s studies.
Columbia University made no comment on the pending suit, which also targets government bodies that fund the university.
But Kim Gandy, president of the National Organisation for Women, said: “They have a men’s studies department: It’s called ’history’, ’politics’, ’business’. It’s the entire university. It’s all about men’s studies. It’s like asking why there isn’t a White Studies department.”
Times Online Property Search will help you find it
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Read our exclusive 100 Years of Fleming and Bond interactive timeline, packed with original Times articles and reviews
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
05/2005
£13,500
08/2008
£109,950
2006
£10,750
Great car insurance deals online
£Excellent+ executive benefits
Torres and Partners
London
£49,229 - £62,035 pro rata
Charity Commission
London/Liverpool/Taunton
Alstom Power
Europe
Six Figure
Rolls Royce
Midlands/Europe
From £89,950
Great Investment, River Views
Special Offers now available
At the new sophisticated
Encore Las Vegas Resort!
Cruise the Islands of Hawaii - Pride of America
List your property with two leading travel websites
Great travel insurance deals online
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths
News International associated websites: Globrix | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
This looks to me like a one man's journey through a nasty divorce - possibly one where he realized that his ex was using him (maybe as her ticket to the west). Now he wants to punish every woman he can. The nightclub suit just got thrown out - the others will too.
Poor guy.
Agusta, Iceland,
He has my support.
BTW, women generally make their own glass ceilings.
Kash, London,
I love this guy and 100% support him in his efforts!
Jason, Sydney,
Anyone who thinks that Mr Den Hollander's actions reflect in any way the actual situation regarding gender equality (current and historical) should be concerned about their own understanding of what is fact and what is absolutely fantastical tripe.
James, London,
Good for him - equality works both ways and the pendulum has swung too far! The cracks are starting to appear in our PC correct little world! - I look forward to the day the whole edifice comes tumbling down!
William, Brighton, England
More power to Mr. Den Hollander, I say.
If women want to be regarded as equals, they have to step up to the plate and drop this ludicrous victim mentality that they've been clinging to for the past 20-30 years.
Until then, I hope women can forgive those who (rightly) see them as immature children.
Jon, Geneva,
Well when we've been excluded from history since its beginning, shouldn't we have the right to have our stories told now?
Maca, Los Angeles, USA
why isn't non-white and female history simply included in history in general and then there would be no need to divide history into different pieces for different people, and no need for separate studies or departments.
Marco, Kraków, Poland
This "man" forgets that women in America STILL make far less money than men, STILL are far less likely to get hired-promoted than a man! The lawyer sounds like a selfish, neolithic neo-conservative, to me.
He probably wants to make blacks sit at the back of the bus again, too.
Nancy, NY state, USA
This whole notion of Women's studies and Black studies are basically history with an emphasis on a perticular colour or gender.
In this day and age I think it is absolutely propostorous.
Michelle, London,