Was there ever a police report filed? Smith considered leaving the college, and looked into other schools. The passion rises. This way of thinking is part of the problem and how dare you try and equate her rape with a cheap romance novel script. Even if an investigation were not able to definitely prove the guilt of the accused, if the college authorities were to make a prudential judgement that the accuser was guilty or, at the very least, was a potential safety threat, they could have expelled him (with a full refund) without giving any reason or giving a generic reason . 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. Please refrain from proselytizing to members of this community. No, it takes opening a word document and writing it up: Dont rape people. If theres a single member on your board who has an issue with that, they shouldnt be on that board, Smith said.. This is still America. She says that the rules against romantic public displays of affection were so restrictive, it drove couples off campus. Disclosing abuse and its aftermath is painful and difficult, and it takes a tremendous amount of courage. 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. Addressing the first tier of SRT, individual racism, Christians should be on guard against secular teachings that provide extra-biblical definitions of sin. Overview Christendom College is a Comprehensive institution located in Front Royal, VA, in a rural setting. A handbook that has to be revised and reviewed by the colleges legal team I assume? Im glad to see Christendom has made some changes and I certainly hope it will continue to educate its students and do all they can do to minister to needs and address wrongs. The school, itself, is actually quite safe, so safe that even when rape happens among its own students, it has to happen off the school grounds. She didnt want to accept that something so ugly had happened to her. Amanda Graf, the current Director of Student Affairs at Christendom, confirms that student handbook did not include a policy against sexual assault until 2013, two years after Smith reported her rape. Then on November 24, 2009, you sat next to her on a bench and made unwanted contact with her by placing your hand on her knee. The students views, whether they arrived with them or picked them up at Christendom, were wildly sexist both men and women. If that happens, hopefully the young lady will have a CRKT S.P.E.W. Right to present a defense OR NOT. Respectfully, I must disagree with your recollection . I went there for one semester (spring 2014). Way to play Blame the Victim! She said she realized she could not stop the man. Maybe because I studied theology and philosophy I did not experience this? Justice, and not just criminal secular justice, but justice from our institutions, is a part of Catholic moral theology. On what planet? In 1992, Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, who had been a professor at Christendom since 1985, was named as the college's third president. Your point is that you disagree and you dont like her shining a journalistic light onto this mess. Never, under any circumstances, admit that it was a complicated process that involved implementing a parallel judicial system. I am so sorry for this woman, rape is a horrible crime on so many levels, maybe one of the worst aspects is the lack prosecution. And the fact that there was not even a hearing to address the rape allegation when it was brought to light is terrible. Sure. I remember him once going on a rant about how tattoos are marks of psychological disorder and moral perversion. Casting aspersions on the Fishers is an ad hominem because they cant adequately address the issue in itself. I hope and pray that the uncovering of these wrongs will enable the college to properly apologize and make amends for their failures. Use your words to express the difficulty of what you are feeling. Front Royal Police told her it was out of their jurisdiction, since it had happened in a national park. Im glad you ran this story, and I hope it will help schools be more accountable. Dont even get me going on how Steubenville is just a fusion of vineyard Pentecostalism with JP2 Catholicism. [17] The actual reason was that, because the colleges all refused to take federal funding, they did not report the data used to compile the scorecard to the federal government. Required fields are marked *. Saunders left his position as dean, and founding faculty member Dr. Kristin Burns took over the position. The school restraining order, if properly enforced(which I suppose to the authors credit, could very rationally be called into question), should at least be acknowledged as an attempt to guarantee her safety. yes! Smith says that the administration cracked down on professors hosting off-campus parties, because they involved drinking. Shes taken a lot of crap from that quarter and it would be a misuse of her great gift of writing to use it as payback. For me, I recoil when I think of the frankly horrible things I used to say and believe, especially to LGBTQ+ people. Dr. Timothy T. ODonnell 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. All rights reserved. I felt safe there. And its really sad when a woman is then abused in this way. Christendom is not perfect, as far as I can tell, they are doing the best they can to foster an environment of spiritual and educational growth. should be torn down. I did experience the misogyny. Under her tenure, the graduate school began offering M.A. I must charitably assume (another term I learned there) this must have been chaste, but it still looked extremely odd. Los Angeles City Councilmember resigns after leaked racist remarks. Not because they are animals, but because our culture is hyper-sexualized in a way that has been hitherto unseen. That is different from critiquing the PDA policy and segregated dorms. It has sent the implicit message to women at Christendom that the such attacks within the Christendom family will be tolerated, that the attacker will receive no punishment, that women who are attacked will have to endure the fear of retaliation, both on a physical level, and on the level of damage to their reputations.. He pushed my arms apart with his hands. There was no mention of her accusation of rape, either in the charge letter or in the sanction letter. Or maybe she actually is a sophomore right now? The other students were friendly and contributed to a comfy atmosphere (though I say this as someone who earnestly tried to be a good rule-following Catholic; if you were closeted LGBTQ+, for instance, I'd imagine it was a lot less comfy). Smith and her family were floored. You described lust and difficulty mastering it. #4. do we know/ do you know who is funding CC??? Describe the current environment at the school with phrases like, But current students and alumni say the school has a boys will be boys attitude which allows the male students to harass and grab at the women. Even if you have no evidence that men can grab at women without repercussions, that doesnt matter. A handbook that is not going to stop a rape. Christendom College. She will do all she can to honor your requests and make your experience with Christendom College a pleasant and memorable one. i grew up Novus Ordo and so did all my friends at Christendom. 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. Rather, it is a guide the way, the truth, and the life.[26], By refusing to accept most forms of federal funding, Christendom College is exempt from many federal guidelines concerning sex-based and other forms of discrimination (e.g., Title IX), investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, and the sharing of information about on-campus crimes. 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. PDA rules that no longer exist, criticizing faculty that no longer are there? Which means, of course, he may very well have done it again. Their donations requests are a joke. I understand the VP actually said Title IX prevented them from speaking out. The college has strict rules about students of opposite sexes being alone together. If Front Royal is a tiny rural town, as these articles say, then a college, even a small one, is a large part of that town. Her subsequent behavior is entirely consistent with that of someone who has been traumatized and assaulted. They had a legal responsibility to investigate throughly, and a moral responsibility to respond appropriately, which they did not do. Liked it? She returned the car to her friend, went back to her dorm, sat down in the shower fully clothed, and cried. I understand it is difficult to do so, but if justice is to be served publicly, accusations must be made in public. however CC is thriving on a 50s mentality that supports men as always being the bad guys and/ or the immaculate prince and responsible for the assaults and women (not girls) women as meek little things who just go along. CC seems to be a very dangerous place for all. Protected: Podcast #16: Reporticus Shutupicus! Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. "Critical race theory (CRT) asserts that America's legal framework is inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color," explains Dr. Denise Donohue, the Christendom is praised as a safe haven where young students can focus on their studies, grow in their faith, and "breathe the Catholic air." Where would be a better Catholic college to send your daughter, Simcha? i was so unhappy my freshman year, couldnt understand why and decided i needed to study abroad in austria to fix myself. Imply that all it involved was inserting a phrase, Do not rape. No means no. 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. jlhyacintha wrote: A school can also take rape allegations seriously, and remove the accused person from campus. I have no doubt that this faith will do the same for each of you if you let it, and perhaps even if you dont. 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. Her hatred for Christendom is glaring. And meanwhile, you get a certain thrill from seeing that now youve unleashed his passion and he DOES love you a la folie. DCNM, can you please explain a context, any context, in which that quote isnt damning? Off campus. Beyond that, it is about how Christendom failed this student and failed others students, and in so doing, failed their Catholic mission. Thanks; I've largely shed myself of the Catholic mental baggage by this point, so don't worry. In the example, they decide to fornicate, but then the young woman regrets her choice, and decides to claim the young man attacked her. 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. In essence, the earliest vision of Christendom was a vision of a Christian theocracy, a government founded upon and upholding Christian values, whose institutions are spread through and over with Christian doctrine. . Thank you! Exactly as DCNM said: NOT QUOTED OR DESCRIBED. But honestly what is Smith talking about when she refers to the only cafe in town?? All PDA-rule-free. He then began approaching and provoking her on campus. We trusted each other and believed ourselves to be a self-selecting group of the Good Guys. Protected: Ill See Myself Out, Episode 61: Dont be coming round here with no oranges. When you have an educational institution; especially a residential one that does not have an explicit sexual assault policy on the books in 2010, its absolutely reasonable to criticize the institution and its actions. Changed to a practical degree, learned about the real world. Are you comfortable with men being expelled if there is no convincing evidence either way, a he-said, she-said situation? Recently, one of the priests who was a major force on campus has charged with rape of a mentally-ill woman. Christendom College, a small, Catholic, liberal arts school in Front Royal Virginia, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Karen, Carroll decided not to accept federal funding at the college, choosing instead to rely on generous benefactors. the Administration could and should have done better here. Christendom is NOT in the Arctic Circle. Our time-tested integrated liberal arts education is the ideal education for the future. A recent blog, which contains misleading information and serious inaccuracies, was posted about Christendom College. Since 1977, Christendom has been providing the best Catholic liberal arts education to prepare students to restore all things in Christ. 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? The accused do NOT have to prove their innocence. Back at the time, when I was an 18-year-old fresh convert, it was EXACTLY the kind of place I wanted to be. No does not mean yes. No doesnt mean I still want to. It was a good conversation, to this day he is one of the only people I've spoken with in real life who I think truly understood the problem and its implications. Eh, Simcha? Your objectives have nothing to do with the truth, the several patently false claims youve made about Christendom are evidence of as much. Badly bungling? i am beginning to wonder if it really exists or is just a figment of a perverted imagination. I remember hanging out with some of them. Its bad because just by the quotes of things hes said, Im pretty sure hes exactly the kind of guy who would force himself on a woman. Before I left the church one of the last times I went to confession was before serving a mass in the dominican rite for a priest I'd shared most of my courses with in grad school. It is sad, and I think a lot of us wayward ones may have a hard time reconciling the fond memories with our current disdain for the Church. This really sucks because it probably means hes going to get away with it. 50% thrill?!!! If we want to read that sort of thing, well buy cheap romance novels. Unfortunately sometimes the police are notified and when they investigate the alleged crime they find out that everything does not add up as the accuser states it happened. A journalist should protect his good name until he is proven guilty, but the school should not? Thank you for writing that. Along with converting I made friends with a bunch of conservative catholics (not trads, but your typical intellectual ratzinger fan types). That bothers me as well. Your charity is overwhelming. I still live in Front Royal, and until very recently our police have been a joke when it comes to stuff like this. Smith thinks he might have been trying to make it appear that she was the one who assaulted him. If you read the original article, it was clear that the school failed on many counts to do what an institution that claims to be Catholic should have done. "[25], Over the years, the college has also received praise from political leaders in the United States. Next came many months of frustration for the Smith family. . Its not 50% excitement its 100% terror. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. And, of course, they could have gone for a walk down the road if all they wanted was to hold hands. Smith herself says these rules drive couples off campus. Im sorry, but your logic is misconstrued here. [43] The team defeated St. Mary's College of Maryland in overtime to capture the title, earning the school its first National Championship.[44]. Oops. Not as well as I would have liked, but it was punished. Miriel. That would have at least been SOMETHING besides heresay. It would be difficult for Christendom to have a fuller Catholic identity. The statute of limitations for rape in the state of VA is 20 years (unless I am mistaken). Youve been completely infected by the porn saturated culture we live in. He encouraged her to get counseling and to tell the school administration what had happened. As a cis dude, I found the dress code obnoxious, but never harsh. Gross inaccuracies in the story include quoting someone as saying men and women arent allowed to even sit next to each other. At that point, any option is deteriorating in safety. We do have a great deal of responsibility. While Ill admit Im not sure management dealt with the matter as well as they could have, I have zero doubt a great deal of these complaints are from people that want to exploit Christendom as a hypocritical Catholic institution. I understand the argument that Christendom had their hands tied due to the lack of criminal prosecution. She fled to her dorm and went to bed. Imagine for a second if he was expelled, but decided to stay in Front Royal anyway. We now have a formal grievance policy students can use to make a complaint against any campus community member who is not covered by the student policy (e.g. I dont consider Cdoms PDA policy unreasonable. The old one, which stands at the heart of the campus, is too . Since the story initially broke, additional allegations of at least 18 previous cases of sexual harassment and assault over the past 45 years have been made. Yet, it is offered without proof of any sort, or even a source willing to go on record. Its something I can share with bubble parents. Thats certainly not Christendoms fault. A change.org petition in support of O'Donnell was signed by over 1,000 people. http://mydailydiatribes.blogspot.com/2017/12/metoo.html?m=1. She took refuge in one of the buildings until he left as he obviously meant her harm. I think maybe it lies in the fact that, because interactions between the sexes are so tightly regulated, couples are far more likely to ensure they are completely out of sight of anyone else, thus providing more opportunities for those with less than pure intentions. Christendom College is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Your experience is absolutely not inconsequential, in any way, on any level. Such a different vibe from my Canadian background. Ive seen way too many crises in my time, where people just went on acting as if nothing happened, not because they didnt care, but because its all they knew how to do and werent really able to fathom it, much less solve it. Its handling of the case may not have been malicious, but it was certainly pusillanimous. Regarding specific inaccuracies, one source has come forward to say her quote was taken out of context to imply something that she never meant it to. But when someone stated they were raped, you do not tell them oh come on, you gave in to the thrill more than the fear. And I think the criticism of the PDA policy is quite apt. When someone returns to campus drunk there is solid proof, and it is easy to immediately punish the person for the offense. Sexual assault by a Catholic homeschooler happened to a person very close to me just recently here in FR. Two months later, the school explained what the young man would be charged with: harassing Smith after a prior incident. The charges do not mention rape. There is much that reeks of shoddy reporting in these two pieces: basically only one side was presented when the facts were right in front of the Fishers (e.g., through the current student handbook and interviewees). Similar to the reasonings at Hillsdale College, Carroll believed that the government might eventually intrude on Christendom's academic and religious freedom.[4]. 2023 Christendom College. Please read above reply concerning accountability. Dont deny the bad, but try to find the good. While not commenting on this particular scenario, it got me musing (once again) on the whole problem of sexual assault and the current #metoo movement. Around 540 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university. Why shes even Catholic I do not understand. My legs were tightly closed. Clearly the college doesnt think it is patently false. Another day, while other students played some sort of game on campus, the young man approached her and began to insist that she slap him across the face. She is very careful not to mention the perpetrators name without permission, but this courtesy given to the attacker is not given to any of the teachers and staff at the school. To find out more about Student Achievement at Christendom, click here. I remember at one point breaking into tears talking to someone because I missed the DHS so much. It was oppressively stifling there. That was not how my parents were, but sex assault is unique crime. This is bad reasoning and I dont see it as incumbent on the school to drop its strict standards on sexual morality, in order appease people who think it might help with the problem. What policy would you advocate? Having said that, the culture on campus is not what caused the rape. Location & Contact Address 134 Christendom Drive Front Royal, VA 22630 United States Contact Mr. Ben Marsh Associate Director of Admissions Email: [email protected] Phone: 500-227-7233 Update my info Larger Map Majors & Degrees The River and the drinking that occurs there is an open secret that the administration is aware of. I would like to know so that I can have a fair understanding of the situation. From what I understand, the school has only gotten worse. Very interesting. I left at the end of my freshman year (wouldve been class of 17 if I stayed). But I want to illustrate the difficulty in really navigating the issue of consent and assault. 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? If some believe that our efforts and policies have failed to bring justice to their particular situations, please understand that despite being fallen human beings, the faculty and staff do their very best every day to provide a just and safe environment. Shes a hater. My inclination is that this was rape and the man is guilty. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. If you dont have weed places, does that mean youll get crack places? Instaurare Omnia in Christo! Of course, the university wouldnt be so tactless: thats the engineer in me coming out. [12], The college's Junior Semester in Rome program was established in 2002. And people worrying too much about specks in other peoples eyes and not the planks in their own or if they did worry about their own planks, it was to an extraordinarily high level of scrupulosity. What is your point really? I miss the sacred music program there. 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. are honey nut cheerios high in oxalates. I dont know what transpired during their internal investigation, but the college could have called both accused and accuser (separately) to give testimony in the presence of an attorney. Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. Simcha does that, see? A policy for handling this should of course be on the books. Students from over 45 states and 7 foreign countries are attracted to the Colleges Catholic family atmosphere and its dedication to the restoration of a truly Catholic culture. Can confirm. A school can also have clearly defined sexual assault policies on the books, and discuss these policies with their students. More concern for an institution than for victims. I cant think of anything more serious than that, thats shy of expulsion. Not super romantic. Its portrayed here as poorly as possible but you cant just go ruining guys lives like this. This is garbage, not because there isnt a problem at Christendom, but because your article contains obvious errors in judgment, is clearly slanted with the intent to make Christendom look bad, and doesnt address the actual problems that make these things happen. Only when my self destructive nonsense lead to the police being called did the administrators step in and not to fix my problems but to put me back in line. I see it as both. It took all of her strength not to drive off the mountain. Maybe that needs to be spoken about more openly among students. I had my arms pushed together, my elbows to my hands pushed together in front of my chest, trying to keep myself covered. I hope and pray that the administration can get it together and respond better to sexual assault claims, because it IS a great place. [27], On January 16, 2018, Catholic blogger Simcha Fisher broke the story of three rape and sexual harassment allegations by students of the college. In addition, the article didnt clarify that the college has gotten rid of many of the policies and rules that are being blamed in this article for the assaults (e.g., the no-holding hands rule was jettisoned a while ago).
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