By ASHLEY CROSS

FOR nearly three years I dated a guy who had been dismissed from Harvard over accusations of raping another student. I lived with him during a summer of his house arrest for his conviction on sexual assault charges and traveled to be with him during the school year.

Throughout, I strove to create a relationship of hopeful normalcy despite his electronic ankle bracelet, public ridicule and compromised future. Until finally, sadly, our affair ended, though not for reasons you might guess.

We had met at a summer camp where we were both counselors. He was 20, a swim instructor who caught my attention with his blue eyes, swollen lips and penchant for performing silly “Saturday Night Live” routines during the evening skits. (more…)