From: Sarah

Date: May 6, 2011 7:53:38 PM PDT<?

To: jtakamura@columbia.edu, mry5@columbia.edu, mr108@columbia.edu, ab14@columbia.edu

Subject: Concerns and Request

Dear Dean Takamura, Assistant Dean Yoshioka, and Associate Professor Reidel:

I am writing to you because of your position at Columbia University and in the school of Social Work. I am a nurse Vietnam Veteran and Nurse Psychotherapist and have twenty-six years experience working with veterans and PTSD. It has come to my attention that at least one of the women featured in the book: Lonely Soldier by Professor Helen Benedict is being exploited in your school of Social Work in ways that she considers a serious and damaging violation of her privacy and personhood.

Eli Painted Crow has served this country proudly and effectively and she agreed to serve when sharing her story with Helen. She deserves to be treated with honor and respect. It is my understanding that she was never asked if it was acceptable to her that she be the subject of a depth analysis by four hundred Social Work students who would be examining her life and state of emotional health based solely on the information she shared with Professor Benedict and in a way that could end up in the public domain.

This violation has caused her immeasurable emotional pain and it is clearly inappropriate and unethical practice. She learned of this misuse of her story when a student from the class contacted her for permission to use Eli's picture for a poster. Even the student was outraged and embarrassed by these violations. This exploitation must stop! I am requesting a full investigation of all of this by the investigating review board and ask that this class project be halted immediately. It is important that any and all of the women veterans who shared their stories with Professor Benedict be protected from intrusive, hurtful violations like this one.

Sarah L.
Nurse Psychotherapist