The Beavercreek, Ohio-based Wright-Patt Credit Union is facingharsh public criticism after a local newspaper reported yesterdaythat the father of recently convicted Stanford University studentBrock Turner set up a legal support fund there.

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Turner, 20, was accused of raping an unconscious woman behind adumpster on the Stanford campus after a party in January 2015. InMarch, a jury found him guilty of three felony sexual assaultcounts. On Thursday, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judgesentenced Turner to six months in jail plus three years ofprobation.

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The sentence, which some said was too light, sparked anoutcry against the judge in the case, Turner's parents and nowWright-Patt. Angry commenters flocked to the credit union'sFacebook page after the Dayton Daily News reported Turner's father set up the account and a familysupporter was asking for donations to pay their expenses. (CUTimes obtained screenshots of the Facebook posts, which areincluded with this story and have since been removed from thesite.)

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“Why are you allowing a rapist's family to raise money to payhis legal costs?” one person wrote. “Why does your business supportcriminals? This is being shared all over social media. We will notstand for this.”

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“You enjoy helping convicted rapists become debt-free?” anotherasked.

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Under one of the credit union's posts about a visit from a localcollege mascot, one commenter posted Turner's photo and wrote,“This business supports rapists.”

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Accounts intended to collect donations are common at creditunions and other financial institutions, and they can help creditunions engage with their communities and strengthen their brands.

Should credit unions open a defense fundfor someone accused or found guilty of a high-profile, seriouscrime?

Yes. Members havethe right to defend themselves. No, I wouldn'twant to risk the bad publicity. No, I would refuseon moral grounds. OtherPlease Specify:

PollMaker

“By and large, credit unions' hearts collectively are always inthe right place, and when it comes to something like this, I'm surethe intentions are strong,” former Marketing Association of CreditUnions Chair Scott Coe told CU Times.

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Credit unions often can't deny accounts easily, currentMAC Board Chair Jennifer D'Amico added.

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“We must avoid taking action that may seem discriminatory in any way andwe must remain in compliance with our state and federalregulations,” she noted. “With that being said, some credit unionsmight have policies in place regarding the types of accounts thatthey are unable to open.”

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Those accounts can sometimes be controversial and backfire onthe brand, however.

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“The old saying that any publicity is good publicity soundsgreat, but you get bad publicity and it often morphs into damagecontrol,” Coe said.

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Wright-Patt, which has $3.3 billion in assets and 321,000members, had no comment for CU Times but did scrub most ofthe angry comments from its Facebookpage on Wednesday afternoon, posting a message in its wake thatread in part: “Wright-Patt Credit Union is aware of the account inquestion that was established as a legal support fund by the fatherof an individual convicted of sexual assault in California. Whenopening a new account, we confirm the membership eligibility andqualifications of the account owner in adherence with our bylawsand applicable law. Beyond that, we respect the privacy of ourmembers and their intended use of the account.”

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The credit union encouraged users to make donations toArtemis Center, YWCA Dayton or a similar organization that helpsvictims of sexual assault.

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That post also appeared to receive little support fromcommenters.

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“Diffusing social media is a tactic we all have to have now. You have to react quickly andhonestly and deal with things,” Coe said. “Sometimes you have tosay, 'This is what the situation is. You may not interpret it thesame way we do. Our intentions are this, and please understand thatthis is where we're coming from.'”