And this is ore than just a liberal arts school, it is a Catholic institution. It seems to be a bigger problem now that the sexually charged culture doesnt help young men and women relate to each other without sexual overtones in every encounter. Anti-Semitism Higher Education Politics Harvard dean. We should not be complacent about it failing students in such gross ways. Additionally, throwing out names of administrators and teachers as part of this story (good or bad) without their permission taints their reputation. Because Simcha has an ax to grind. I know I do. A US NEWS & WORLD REPORT article says it isnt working too well. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and has been characterized as a conservative Catholic liberal arts college. Your email address will not be published. I have seen no evidence that Christendom reported the accusation. Smith thinks he might have been trying to make it appear that she was the one who assaulted him. Instaurare Omnia in Christo! All PDA-rule-free. These are some of the difficult questions the college should have asked itself. What did this mean about me in my conservative Christian culture? Each day she is persuaded that the college has no intention of supporting her. The reports indicate that Adele Smith indicated, after a prior incident with you, that she no longer wanted a relationship with you. I wonder what people do with degrees from schools like Christendom. If not, then how is the school supposed to levy public punishments that would permittly alter this guys life if the woman would not go forward to authorities? It was very competitive, I constantly felt like I didn't have my shit together enough to keep up with my peers, felt threatened by the overwhelmingly progressive social atmosphere. Simultaneously persecuted superior and Self hating in that bizarre catholic mix Brilliant line. He RETIRED a year or so ago. Christendom is very diligent in making sure that it provides a safe campus for the education of our students.. Whats for supper? Rape is always absolutely horrific and of course a criminal offense. In 2013, after Smith had graduated from the school, she again downloaded the student handbook and was aghast to see there was still no language forbidding sexual assault by students. It is alleged that a professor offered an example about Adele in class in an effort to smear her, however multiple students have come forward to say that his example was being used many, many years before Adela even attended the university, so it couldnt have been about her. I will say that no professor I had ever backed up this position, but neither did I see them fight to overturn it. Is hearing both sides unreasonable? The reason I posited a scenario where the college questioned both accused and accuser is so someone in a leadership position could hear the testimonies with objectivity and discernment and make a prudential judgement on behalf of the greater good of the community. You described lust and difficulty mastering it. God bless you and keep you. I dont consider Cdoms PDA policy unreasonable. But then into your mind jumps the thought no, I wanted to be married. The teachers provide a well rounded education of philosophy, history, theology, literature and political science. The molestation permanently altered the course of my life, most of all because I thought it was my fault, because coercion and sexual violation was always portrayed as something that happened from creepy men to women, and my experience didnt fit that template. The policies the college had were precisely the ones that make sexual assault unlikely to occur on college grounds. After graduation, she went to a catholic high school that was run by nuns. He sat beside her and began to make small talk, putting his hand on her leg. Imply that there is a pattern and that the pattern is indicative of the current campus environment. Teresa, if the school is a place to strengthen ones faith, but they have a history of taking rape and assault lightly, then what does that example say about the Catholic institutions ability to accurately guard and present the faith to these students? Be a patron of the (f)arts! You are taking down the good name of a college because two students left campus in a car and a rape occurred. The hollow piety I encountered there was so devastating, I expected everyone to be devout, not just going through the motions. I do think it unfair and infuriating that in the modern world where young people are wandering in a culture without any norms or mores, women are less protected and offer suffer much more than the men do. Take a second to support simchajfisher on Patreon! . When the schools response is to prevent the rapist from living on campus for a semester, and a professor welcomes him into his home while smearing the student who was raped in class, without serious consequences, its fair to criticize the school. I am not making this up. In Adeles case it sounds like the college really did blow it by not giving credence to her rape charge, but did you *really* try to get their side of it before you published your hit piece here? In this period, members of the Christian clergy wield political authority. Christendom College is a four-year coeducational Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College with undergraduate and graduate programs offered in locations in Front Royal and Alexandria, Virginia, Donegal, Ireland, and Rome, Italy. We are committed in our policies, our procedures, and in our on-campus culture to uphold and promote the dignity of women and men. I still have fond memories of a bunch of them. I considered Christendom, but that seemed a bit too much for me at the time. From day one, the men of this campus are filled with a joy in being a gentleman to every girl. Students are, however, punished for coming back to campus drunk, even if the drinking took place off campus for instance, at The River, a popular drinking spot where even professors are known to visit and socialize. Probably liability reasons. However, I avoided the professors whose reputation for being ultra-trad proceeded them as much as possible. Beyond that, it is about how Christendom failed this student and failed others students, and in so doing, failed their Catholic mission. Perhaps could have been goaded into admitting he forced her against her will via text if tweeked in the right way. If it was me vs. a kitten, the kitten would win, Smith says. There was always a (subtle enough that it could be gaslighted away if you tried to talk about it) sense that women just dont matter as much at Christendom. From what I have read so far, there would be nothing but he said/she said. Smith and her family were floored. Hes taken enough from me; hes not gonna take this.. The old one, which stands at the heart of the campus, is too . How law enforcement and colleges respond to sexual harassment and rape allegations is a different matter, and I agree that does need to be addressed. The wonderful thing is that in America there are thousands of schools that allow all of those things. Smith claims they are dangerous. He was my friend, I knew him, I knew his sister, and it felt very natural sitting in the back, Smith said. Not the most helpful thing, Mrs. Fischer. It makes it hard for a young woman to keep herself safe if *all* the places where a date might happen are private. You shooting in the dark hoping to hit a target, isnt helping. But at the same time, Christendom was a dream in a bubble. He also told some students that she pulled a knife and forced him into sexual acts. There is no thrill in rape. Oct. 12, 202201:21. I would posit that when a woman is ovulating her sex drive out strips a mans, I think womens sex drives tend to be ignored because men are more sexual which isnt the case. Oh, this was before cellphones. Thanks; I've largely shed myself of the Catholic mental baggage by this point, so don't worry. Why insinuate the government is going to do it better. This story was researched and reported by Damien and Simcha Fisher. @CMFE But Hollywood isnt doing a better job. We clearly received the impression that Mr. Dorman wasnt going to do anything . . Following allegations that Christendom College mishandled student sexual assault reports, the college's administration has said it is committed to doing better. Dont like it? afterwards. How come more worldly girls get raped too?Even from your writing it seems that Christendom did stand up from inside when Miss Smith felt comfortable telling her Theology! Similar to the reasonings at Hillsdale College, Carroll believed that the government might eventually intrude on Christendom's academic and religious freedom.[4]. The alleged assault did not occur on campus. He kept saying, Hit me. He kept grabbing my hand and trying to make me slap him, Smith said. Im so sorry you were raped, Jenislawski said. Students who go to remote areas are by-passing safe, public places where they could engage in the PDA behavior you complain is banned on campus. Accountability, yes, definitely. Her husband, Warren H.. [2] Carroll, who was a contributor at L. Brent Bozell Jr.'s Triumph magazine, decided to found Christendom in the aftermath of the Land O' Lakes conference in 1967. Eh, Simcha? Oops. Podcast #57: And then the internet took off. There is a moral failing when a founders son is a perpetrator and this is covered up continually over the years, Andrew, you said: I still live in Front Royal, and until very recently our police have been a joke when it comes to stuff like this. Meanwhile, these suggestions that its the no PDA policy thats to blame, really is bizarrely pseudo Freudian. Dont even get me going on how Steubenville is just a fusion of vineyard Pentecostalism with JP2 Catholicism. Here it seems that the expectation was not only that she be believed(fathoming), but that immediate action be taken(aka solving). The facts state otherwise. And St. Peters church (or rather the organ there). The truth matters little. Yet, it is offered without proof of any sort, or even a source willing to go on record. It was very much like a museum, like an exhibit. The fact that you think men are walking around Christendoms campus grabbing at womens arses and nobody does anything because their is a boys will be boys attitude just shows how naive you are. There are so many other choices that dont have these rules. Criticize them for taking a long time. In retrospect, the College may not have served these victims as well as we could have, and for this hurt we are truly sorry for any additional pain that this may have caused. As I informed you at the meeting, I do not find these interactions with Adele to be acceptable, appropriate, or in keeping with our Code of Student Conduct. Her point is that they did not do their best. If Simcha cant openly accuse the guy of rape, how can the school? The man was not charged, let alone convicted of rape. Theresa, I agree the Admin still needs to prove it is committed and i think the spotlight being held on them by this article will be helpful. Smith says the school claimed it takes a long time to implement changes in school policy. Before I went to Christendom I was the head of my diocesan youth council, so to say I was active in my faith was an understatement. Ive been guessing and guessing whoever it is seems to still have his good reputation intact. And one of the most glaring incidents you chose to report on didnt even occur on campus, it occurred 30 minutes away. After what felt like hours, he left. When youre Catholic youre taught that your virginity is one of the best gifts you have, a gift you can give your husband, Smith said. Inaccuracies did not have to do with Miss Smiths heartbreaking account. He further harassed her, had told several of his friends that she had seduced him. L.A. council President Nury Martinez faces pressure to resign after racist remarks in leaked audio. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. And did in fact say no with her body language with arms crossed and legs locked tight? We care if you drink off campus, but not if you rape off campus, she said. teacher what had happened. How unromantic! Fedoryka, through his contacts in the Vatican, brought the college into contact with then-Pope John Paul II, who later told Carroll that Christendom "was doing a great work for the Church. But when he started putting his hand inside her shirt, she told him No, and pushed his hand away. Their response was a poor excuse for an apology. He started kissing her. Which, I dont suppose I have any obligation to do, but its unfair to simply expect the school to just automatically presume the worst. Sure, they could get threatened by the student with a lawsuit, but accusations of rape could then be brought up in court, and such accusations are much easier to prove in a civil suit, so there would be protection for the college. It is not the victims terrible story that we dont believe, it is just the illogical conclusions that the author jumps to and the careless damage she is causing that are wrong. No does not mean yes. No doesnt mean I still want to. The college has strict rules about students of opposite sexes being alone together. Having the campus always on lockdown? You cant tell a Catholic girl to be suspicious of her fellow (male) students because that would make her a man-hating feminazi. Ive never read porn, eeek! I would go to the only cafe in town, and hed be sitting outside. Despite those inaccuracies, the hearts and prayers of our entire Christendom College community go out to all involved in the incidents described and to anyone who may be a victim of sexual harassment or assault. While I fully believe her narrative is true, its not unreasonable to also suppose that a college would have to do a kind of balancing act where legal authorities are absent. Thats America. The perpetrator denied the charge vigorously, and dr. Marshner was simply trying to help a student in need. The idea is that if you dont have make out places, youll get rape places. Now, perhaps well-meaning couples end up going farther in private than they would if they could kiss in public, but were not talking about well-meaning couples, were talking about rapists and victims. They can work *with* local law enforcement, but thats as far as it goes, because theyre federal. I dont mean to down play the role that a school has in protecting its students and holding perpetrators accountable. Here is another crazy thought. Saunders left his position as dean, and founding faculty member Dr. Kristin Burns took over the position. Adele has no bad girl reputation on campus. Yeah, that seems to be the atmosphere of Catholic higher education in my experience; a lot of the people there are trying to be good and do the right thing (as they see it), but the system as a whole is irredeemably flawed, and it covers up those people who are downright malicious. Most of the responses have been supportive. Trad bubble alert! I have to wonder why people entrust a liberal arts school board to be able to fairly assess rape allegations, when law enforcement werent able to. Im sorry, I would not want to hurt anyone and I certainly cant judge the situation. Im not saying that the accused should have been expelled. And I still have some fond memories of the place, even today. Maybe you didnt mean to imply this to be the case for her, but using her name in the example makes it seem so. It was not reported to the police for YEARS. Thank you! 2023 Christendom College. However, Im not sure the reporting here accurately reflects of the issues at Christendom, and it certainly doesnt lay out anything that can be done to improve conditions for future students, as the few things suggested have already been implemented. I am incensed by the way Simcha makes it sound like Dr. Marshner condoned and sheltered a known rapist, and then was fired from the school. The college had no policy on sexual assault? Asking questions are really good thing if you It is beyond belief that the man has not ever been punished. I had seen already something was wrong, something had happened, Foeckler said. In the late 1970s, Christendom College . But I want to illustrate the difficulty in really navigating the issue of consent and assault. Glad to hear everyone still hates those fountains. Thanks for sharing your experience. Gigi, when I dated a man who attended Christendom, we had extended conversations about the philosophy of human nature that led one of the professors to conclude that, among other things, (a) women are ontologically inferior to men and (b) women shouldnt vote. She describes the open houses that would take place in the dorms once a semester. I used to ask my fiance when we were engaged, do you love me a la folie? Trying to live as a chaste couple before marriage, I was constantly struggling with worries over love and acceptancemany times after making out wildly with him but then walking away and saying goodnight. Good job trying to romanticize rape, but your writing would be more appropriate in a pornographic novel, where creeps actually try to convince themselves women enjoy being raped. Please refrain from proselytizing to members of this community. Is there a clause in the student handbook prohibiting murder? Because these issues are so very serious, and it would be negligent to look the other way. DCNM, can you please explain a context, any context, in which that quote isnt damning? On the day of the rape, she re-injured her back while cleaning her room for Homecoming Weekend, and so her new boyfriend suggested that they have a low-key, relaxing date. By whose definition are they adults? Heck, if she had even maybe goaded him into admitting it in a text it would be at least something other than just he said/she said and they could have proceeded with charges against him (case like that was successfully pushed at my old college using that tactic a few years back). Help me fund this site and get access to my and my husbands occasional podcast and other perks. Catholics are sinners just like everyone else. I went to a small Catholic school in the 80s and knew all students there did not live up to the standards of the college or the faith. Respectfully, I must disagree with your recollection . The basement of the admissions office (a building which, Im pretty sure, is condemned but still functions as an office despite the dangers) had a breaker room in the back behind 2 locked doors. Rights to presumption of innocence meaning the burden of proof is on the prosecutor. It was the same with the guys open house, except theyd have TVs and video games. i actually looked into going to Christendom College and got accepted. There was no mention of her accusation of rape, either in the charge letter or in the sanction letter. When I tried to figure out what had happened, I would say, He had sex with me, but I didnt, she said. A reasonable process may not have been able to do anything about the situation, but a reasonable process still should have been pursued. In fact, my old college had a case like that years back and the girl getting him to admit what he did in a text to her gave them enough to proceed to action. I was at Saint Marys in South Bend and we had a student body of about 1,500, tops. I believe Adeles story 100%. . The school apparently based its response on two facts: First, there was, in 2011, no clause in the student handbook prohibiting sexual assault. If only for the sake of that important virtue diversity shouldnt there be ONE school in the country that has these rules for those who CHOOSE to attend? In 2018, while delivering the Commencement Address for Christendom, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said, This is a wonderful, wonderful, college a decidedly Catholic college, and I am decidedly and unapologetically Catholic. It is difficult seeing as how the incident was years old before she brought it to Admins attention and it happened without witnesses, like the on campus stuff, to determine one way or the other. Carroll decided not to accept federal funding at the college, choosing instead to rely on generous benefactors. The student handbook now includes a sexual assault policy. Rapists should be tarred and feathered (or worse). How unCatholic and how tragically demeaning! While it is true that Cdom, as I understand it, expels people for far less, it is usually for things in which there is more evidence or for matters that are more in their jurisdiction. She returned the car to her friend, went back to her dorm, sat down in the shower fully clothed, and cried. Come on. Episode #60: Who or what is a Malcolm Gladwell? Not even subtle, in my experience. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Im not sure what the point is, later comment by Simcha was that the college should be held accountable..How are they not being held countable? Please teach your children that no always means NO so they will not be victims or predators. I think people in leadership positions, especially those who are tasked with ensuring the safety of communities, have to man up and make difficult decisions sometimes, even at the risk of being regarded as unfair. Enjoy a visit to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia! Christendom College. Feb 5, 2018 / 15:45 pm. 237: Creative naan compliance, Special Valentines FREE Episode: 20 things we hated about FIREPROOF, Protected: Podcast #65: Sometimes goat is just not GOAT. One of my classmates was seriously over the top and has gone on to make her name as a self-appointed investigative journalist and spiritual director online. The problems with rape at Christendom are the problems with rape anywhere. [27], On January 16, 2018, Catholic blogger Simcha Fisher broke the story of three rape and sexual harassment allegations by students of the college. Thats certainly not Christendoms fault. This has been mine. Christendom College was founded in response to this cultural revolution, providing a fully integrated liberal arts education in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church. But thats not entirely relevent here. I love how liberal dissidents throw trad around like its some kind of slur. We were certainly not taught that a parked car on a lonely spot was a good idea for a date by any of the professors, Administrators, all who took pains to teach us a dating culture that could help us mature and protect us. complicated memories of the place. The reporting alleges/implies that young women arent safe at Christendom, that the university has an ongoing culture of assault and harassment toward women which is accepted by the community, and that the University doesnt help women who have been raped. Ugh, how vile. Yes, there were party girls at SMC. Throughout the letter, ODonnell refers to the young man by his last name, but refers to Adele Smith by her first name. Unfortunately, sexual assault is happening throughout the Catholic (and homeschooling) community in Front Royal, not just Christendom. It would be difficult for Christendom to have a fuller Catholic identity. Ask any psychologist who works with seminarians how many enter the seminary struggling in a battle against pornography. But like I said, you can tell this guy is a true, slick sociopath. I am astounded that the article says rapist rather than alleged rapist. higher education Discover more about Christendom College Others Named Mark Fusco Mark Fusco Account Executive at Black Kite Mark Fusco Carroll remained as president until 1985 when Dr. Damian Fedoryka was named as the second president. Have we learned nothing in the past 15 years? you are correct about the implications. With this goal in mind, the College utilizes single-sex dormitories, visitation policies to promote chastity, planned weekly events as a way to proactively promote sobriety and counter any temptation toward a drinking scene, and spiritual programs to foster students prayer lives and spirituality.. Im sorry, but your logic is misconstrued here. Miriel. I remember clearly two instances where a professor I respected and a male friend who I valued told me to my face that women were inferior in ability and authority to men and ought to accept that. Smith does not remember getting dressed after the rape. You could have discussed it without illustrating it so clearly. You are correct on what the report alleges and implies. Clearly, both the young man and the young woman had people on their side who believed one person over the other in this he-said-she-said situation.
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