The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence recently held elections for their president and Robert Hanser, an associate professor of program coordination, won. He is the first male to be president and vice president of this committee.

The LCADV is the federal coalition of shelters, non-residential programs and individuals working to end domestic violence in Louisiana. Their main function in today’s world is to advocate for funds in the capital for state-run safe houses and programs that assist the victims.

“To become vice president and president you have to be voted in by a current member, so getting on the board is the competitive part not the election,” Hanser said.

Generally, the only people that get on the board are people that work and run psychiatric hospitals, shelters and other programs that cater to the victims.

Hanser used to work in a shelter in Houston as in intern, but he said he had an interest in studying family violence and its cause.

Hanser is involved in community anger management and abuse classes. The classes were started by the LCADV.

“Men can be just as vulnerable as women when it comes to domestic abuse. He must have experience…and if he weren’t to be allowed just because he was male, then that’s the backwards doublespeak of sexism,” said James Meredith, a sophomore history major.