Podcast Summary: Something Was Wrong – S25 Ep9: Flipped the Script

Host: Tiffany Reese (Broken Cycle Media)
Date: February 19, 2026
Theme: Survivor testimony and institutional failures in addressing sexual misconduct in academia

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the aftermath and repercussions of survivors coming forward with allegations of abuse, manipulation, and institutional neglect at the University of Central Oklahoma's theater department. Featuring first-hand accounts from Miranda, Olivia, and Rihanna, the episode explores their grueling experiences navigating Title IX processes, the impact of their reports, the university's insufficient response, and the traumatic fallout of their story becoming public. The episode's tone is intimate, raw, and marked by frustration at systemic failures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Title IX Reporting and Disclosure (02:51–07:45)

• Miranda and Olivia recount the decision to go to the Title IX office after learning of an advisor's recommendation.
  • Olivia is asked to be a character witness, firmly denies the perpetrator's narrative:

    "I told her immediately that he had told me everything and that none of it was true." — Olivia (02:59)

  • Rihanna reflects on the naivety of trusting the Title IX process and secrecy that was promised but not upheld (03:38–03:57).
• The time apart during winter break allows Miranda to reflect on her complicated feelings and dwindling connection with her abuser.

2. Senior Year: Exhaustion, Retaliation, and Racial Dynamics (04:24–08:22)

• Miranda describes her emotional withdrawal and exhaustion during her senior year.
  • She requires the abuser’s support for grad school (recommendations/auditions) despite their ended relationship.
  • Direct retaliation comes in the form of being cast in a lesser role despite her qualifications.

    “He refused to let her cast me in her show. So he insisted that he cast me in his show and he purposefully didn’t cast me in a lead role.” — Miranda (05:38)

• The abuser’s direction of “Trojan Women 2.0,” which paradoxically focused on feminist themes, is described as doubly ironic and exploitative. Miranda highlights the racialized casting: women of color as prisoners, white women as royalty.
• Rihanna discusses being drawn back to the department by Cato's financial offer, viewing it as manipulation and an exertion of control under the guise of support.

3. Trauma of Performance and Processing Abuse (09:29–12:32)

• Rihanna’s anguish at having to deliver a monologue on sexual abuse (reflective of her real experiences) while being directed by her abuser.

  “I am talking about my own sexual abuse experience and a sexual abuser in front of me is directing me on how to make that performance better. I don’t even think now I can process how fucked up that is.” — Rihanna (09:49)

• The psychological toll: constant anxiety, fight-or-flight state, and the impossibility of processing the experience at the time.
• Ultimately, Rihanna leaves the department in quiet burnout, never receiving promised financial aid.

4. Graduation and the Aftermath (16:19–23:11)

• Miranda recounts her deliberate withdrawal post-graduation, increased awareness of the manipulative abuse, and the abuser’s desperate post-graduation attempts at contact through social media and text, culminating in her blocking him on all platforms.
  • Miranda screenshots a disturbing Snapchat message as potential evidence.
  • The pandemic offers Miranda months to process alone; therapy becomes her lifeline and catalyst for eventually filing her own Title IX complaint.

5. Coming Forward: Disclosure and Support (23:11–25:36)

• Miranda’s emotionally loaded disclosure to Olivia.

  "She just casually was like, hey, there’s something I need to talk to you about… She asked, do you remember a few years ago when all that Title IX shit happened? And I said yes. And she was like, well, all of it was true, and I am filing a new report with the university.” — Olivia (23:24)

• Olivia’s immediate, visceral anger towards the perpetrator and support for Miranda, volunteering as a Title IX co-complainant.

6. Filing Title IX: Hope, Betrayal, and Disillusionment (25:36–32:37)

• Rihanna expresses pride in supporting Miranda but notes a naïve hope that the process will be just.
• The Title IX Process:
  • Miranda chooses the “informal” process after the Title IX coordinator recommends it as faster, supposedly not less rigorous.

    “She suggested to me that the informal complaint would be the better way of moving through this because it means that things would be resolved much quicker.” — Miranda (31:07)

  • Olivia recalls being told, “If it was my child, I would want swift action taken,” (31:37) only to experience a sudden drop in support and communication from administrators.

7. Toothless Resolutions and Lack of Transparency (32:39–38:58)

• Miranda reads the official university response: vague references to “relative sanctions and remedies,” withholding any specific information.

  “I emailed her… The letter that I received seems to not offer a lot of information for me. She said, I cannot give you the specifics on the actions, but I can confirm there are a number of significant limitations as well as requirements.” — Miranda (34:01)

• The results: minimal consequences for Cato, no meaningful change for survivors, and all labor of warning others falls on Miranda.
  • Miranda reflects on the profound pain and betrayal:

    “…this was supposed to be closure for me and it was not. It didn’t even begin to come close to being closure.” — Miranda (36:54)

8. Systemic Failures and Emotional Fallout (39:01–41:27)

• Olivia is shocked but retrospectively unsurprised at the university’s indifference and ethical failures, despite clear evidence and repeated reports.

  “It was shocking that they would know about this and have evidence... and they just didn’t care.” — Olivia (39:19)

• The survivor’s vulnerability is compounded by a lack of genuine support or transparency from the institution.

9. The Lawsuit & Media Exposure (44:21–50:45)

• Following failed avenues within the university, Miranda, Olivia, and peers, with advocacy from professors and a lawyer, decide to pursue legal action.
• Media Coverage:
  • News coverage is swift and out of their control.
  • Trauma is intensified by online speculation, lack of personal outreach, and a sense of lost agency.

    "It was no longer just something that had happened to me… people were posting about it on Facebook, talking about how creepy he was… It was so unhelpful." — Miranda (47:17)

10. What Real Support Looks Like (50:45–51:48)

• Miranda offers advice to listeners about supporting survivors.

  “Mostly I would say like, just text your friends if your friend is experiencing something like this. Tell them that you’re thinking of them. Tell them that you’re there to listen to them… Instead of posting about it on Facebook, ask me how I was doing. It would have just made it so much easier.” — Miranda (51:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On retaliation:
  “He refused to let her cast me in her show. So he insisted that he cast me in his show and he purposefully didn’t cast me in a lead role.”
  — Miranda (05:38)

• On performing trauma:
  “I am talking about my own sexual abuse experience and a sexual abuser in front of me is directing me on how to make that performance better. I don’t even think now I can process how fucked up that is.”
  — Rihanna (09:49)

• On institutional betrayal:
  “It was shocking that they would know about this and have evidence... and they just didn’t care.”
  — Olivia (39:19)

• On receiving 'support' from the university:
  “She suggested to me that the informal complaint would be the better way of moving through this because it means that things would be resolved much quicker.”
  — Miranda (31:07)

• On what real support looks like:
  “Mostly I would say like, just text your friends if your friend is experiencing something like this… ask them what they need.”
  — Miranda (51:06)

Important Timestamps

• [02:51] – Olivia's introduction to Title IX office and immediate denial of abuser’s narrative
• [05:25] – Miranda details subtle retaliation in her senior year
• [09:49] – Rihanna describes trauma of performing her own abuse in front of her abuser
• [16:19] – Miranda describes cutting ties after graduation
• [23:14] – Miranda discloses abuse to Olivia, leading to joint Title IX complaint
• [31:07] – Miranda coached to file an informal complaint
• [34:01] – University’s vague response on “relative sanctions”
• [36:54] – Miranda: the lack of closure
• [39:19] – Olivia on university’s failure
• [44:21] – Lawsuit and ensuing media coverage
• [47:17] – Miranda processes impact of public exposure
• [51:06] – Miranda’s advice for supporting survivors

Conclusion & Tone

"Flipped the Script" stands as a sobering indictment of institutional inaction and the compounding trauma experienced by survivors who come forward. Miranda, Olivia, and Rihanna’s stories illuminate how harm persists when systems prioritize their own convenience over transparency and accountability: survivors are often left to protect each other, process their trauma with insufficient support, and fight for justice amid continued vulnerability. The episode’s style is earnest, unflinching, and emotionally resonant, ending with practical advice on how to offer true, sustaining support.

Next Episode Preview:
Olivia reflects on the broader failures beyond the individual perpetrator and hints at continued efforts to seek change.

This episode is a powerful resource for anyone interested in survivor advocacy, Title IX processes, and the struggle against institutional neglect in academia.