WHAT’S Going On At FUS And Christendom? A Quick Timeline Of #MeToo

ACTION ITEM: Now you can read and sign a petition to FUS administration here.

Wondering what all the hoopla about Franciscan University of Steubenville and Christendom College is about? Here’s a helpful timeline for you to follow the events.

Timeline of Events – Updated 19 April, 2018

October 5-10, 2017 – #MeToo starts with the revelations from The New Yorker and The New York Times about Weinstein’s sexual predation. Women (and men) are emboldened to speak out about harassment and assault that they’ve endured.
January 4, 2018 – Dr. Stephen M. Krason, a prof at Franciscan University of Steubenville and the associate director of FUS-housed Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life, writes a piece for Crisis Magazine in which he dismisses rape allegations in general and unwisely defends Roy Moore, among others.That day, FUS puts a link to that article on their public FB page, which garners some criticism from alumni, including some comments that allege sexual misconduct on FUS’s campus as well as other sexual misconduct from current staff there. These comments are dirty deleted by FUS, and then reinstated, and then the entire thread is taken down. (Read about that here and here.)
January 16, 2018 – Simcha Fisher comes out with a two-part investigative report into the handlings (covering over) of sexual harassment and assault at Christendom college. The National Catholic Reporter has additional coverage about the college’s response – or lack thereof – on March 23, 2018.
Spring 2018 – Franciscan University’s alumni magazine runs an article by Emily Stimpson Chapman titled “A Safe Home,” which details from FUS’ perspective how Title IX is handled at the university.
April 16, 2018 – The National Catholic Reporter releases an article about mishandlings of sexual misconduct on campus at FUS. Since this is a breaking story, the details remain a little less salacious, since the victims do not feel safe letting themselves be identified to administration. The article focuses less on the victims and more on the culture at FUS that would lead to victims not feeling safe enough to report their assailants.
April 19, 2018 – The Office of Student Life at FUS releases an email to current students reiterating their Title IX practices, pointing to the Franciscan Way article “A Safe Home,” and listing contact information for the Title IX coordinators. They note that they have “taken more vigorous steps to engage this issue of sexual misconduct proactively over the past seven years…” They do not issue an apology or acknowledgement of grievances held against them.

What Now?

The major questions from this fall out tend to be:

1) How are Catholic colleges responding to the call for better handling of sexual misconduct on campus?

2) What is the extent and patterns of sexual misconduct on each campus; and

3) How can each institution alter to encourage the dignity of the human person, rather than turning a blind eye to assault?

Miles To Go Before We Sleep

The whole world is fallen, we know. And sexual predation has been part of our fall from the beginning. However, I would encourage all people of good will to see this time as an opportunity to shine the light and to stand up for the truth. This is not about toppling institutions, or starting a vindictive witch hunt, or anything asking for destruction – no. This is about admitting where we’ve fallen, and learning to be better.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.