I think rape should be a clearly defined and promulgated capital crime so there would be fewer instances and false allegations. Are you saying that because Christendom isnt under governmental control this happened? If they arent keeping track, then the are no statistics to tell you what happens on campus and of campus. Absolutely, but leaders have to weigh the pros and cons, of which there are many, and seek the greater good. 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. I wasn't really prepared for the amount of raw heresy I was surrounded with. This article sounds like Stephanie Meyer had a hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! He didnt have a license, so, at his suggestion, they borrowed a friends car and she drove them up to a scenic point overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Is it possible that they could get it wrong? The unwillingness of boorish cynics like Karen to accept purity and goodness nor to validate the positive experiences of other women says far more about herself than it does about Christendom or the sophomore student whom she was replying to. It doesnt make sense to me. The spirituality they relentlessly pushed never really clicked for me, though I always told myself it was my fault for not Jesusing harder, for not totally surrendering myself to a God Who wasn't really interested in talking back. That is degrading to both sexes. And then we blame schools that are actually making efforts to establish some social mores to help guide young people? My objective is to make Christendom more accountable for the safety of its students. There are more than a few other academic institutions whose rates of rape and sexual assault are much higher and/or go under-reported. Her GPA slipped to 1.2. She fled to her dorm and went to bed. But honestly what is Smith talking about when she refers to the only cafe in town?? Christendom is praised as a safe haven where young students can focus on their studies, grow in their faith, and "breathe the Catholic air." I sympathize with the people who want a man to be expelled based on one womans testimony (such as in the above article), but we have to admit that is at the expense of innocent men getting expelled as well. Students to Spend Spring Break on Mission Trips, Womens Basketball Takes Runner-Up in Conference Tournament, Christendom Rugby Punches Ticket to Nationals. A longtime economics and political science professor at Christendom College in Virginia has been charged with solicitation of a minor under the age of 16 and two counts of . 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. They explained to her that a prosecutor would take her case, but that the chances of going to trial, much less of the young man being prosecuted, were very low. The fact that little can be done in this tragedy is very much a fallen world problem, a human nature problem, and a justice system problem. Purity more and more asks for a heroic virtue. Finally comfortable in my own skin, as long as I avoid the dreaded Catholic bubble. Protected: Podcast 51: the Grift of the Magi, Protected: Podcast #50: The Five Stages of Revenge, Podcast 49: Not trying to hurry you (FREE PODCAST! The truth matters little. The lack of PDA rules has not protected the women on those campuses. So I pinned all my hopes for justice on my Catholic, conservative college, to uphold moral principles., So she went to the then-dean, Jesse Dorman, and reported the rape and subsequent harassment. In speaking with our counsel, it is my understanding that under Virginia law, the doctrine of in loco parentis as applied to colleges and universities simply means that Christendom has a responsibility to provide a safe campus for its students. There was no mention of her accusation of rape, either in the charge letter or in the sanction letter. [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. The college also acquired the Notre Dame Institute during O'Donnell's tenure. Christendom has no love, and without love there is only tyranny. An authentically Catholic college that prepares you for the future The cultural revolution of the twentieth century continues to take its toll on the world and on Catholic higher education. Thank you for this perspective. Rob, earlier in the comments, gave wonderful suggestions as to what the school could do, and what he would expect them to do(that they did not), but its still worth noting that the article itself mentions things the school DID do to try to protect the students. Accustomed to a large, sociable, extended family, she knew Christendom would be conservative, but was bemused by the strict segregation of males and females. Eh, Simcha? I still have a lot of tenderness for those guys, deep down, even if my larger experience with the church has made me hostile toward Catholicism generally, and deeply cynical about the priesthood. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and has been characterized as a conservative Catholic liberal arts college. Back at the time, when I was an 18-year-old fresh convert, it was EXACTLY the kind of place I wanted to be. Smith and her family were floored. In the letter, ODonnell tells Smiths father that the school understands the anguish the Smith family is feeling as they wait for a judgment against the young man, and that the college will make a complete and careful investigation of [Smiths] allegations before rendering a decision that will impact both the life of the accused and the accuser.. The student handbook now includes a sexual assault policy. To find out more about Student Achievement at Christendom, click here. I cant stop him, apparently, she recalled thinking. She said she realized she could not stop the man. A private institution that is not subject to federal collegiate regulations has such flexibility. Dr. Timothy T. ODonnell 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. She will do all she can to honor your requests and make your experience with Christendom College a pleasant and memorable one. I remember loving the lushness of the area. Its something I can share with bubble parents. If she simply made an error in judgment and regretted the decision, she would be stating she had sex and lost her virginity before she planned to. complicated memories of the place. You shooting in the dark hoping to hit a target, isnt helping. As I said, virtue thrives in the light. As a graduate of Christendom, I see no reason why he couldnt have been expelled. Christendom College. The school determined the young man was responsible for the violation of Harassment.. I marched in the March for Life and protested a DC abortion clinic; for anyone whose lives I made worse by pushing anti-abortion propaganda, I am truly sorry. Because Simcha has an ax to grind. They have further to go to create safe environments for women. So printing, rape is not tolerated or whatever they expected to be printed in the handbook sounds a little naive. 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.. You are taking down the good name of a college because two students left campus in a car and a rape occurred. And Im sure you also understand our need to be loved an accepted. Come on. . What is to blame there?? How unCatholic and how tragically demeaning! When I approached President ODonnel about it, I was stone-walled. #2. letter kind of reminds me of sessions of my 8th grade social dancing classes The old one, which stands at the heart of the campus, is too . I felt safe there. Christendom is NOT in the Arctic Circle. Imagine for a second if he was expelled, but decided to stay in Front Royal anyway. I went to a small all-womens college, and we had an excellent campus security force; if you were feeling unsure about walking to your car at night you could call them for an escort. And, as I said, they were more balanced than the others. From what I have read so far, there would be nothing but he said/she said. Kind of makes you wonder why there are any rapes in the many (50?) Warren Carroll's response to such radicalism was to found a college. And yet, with your ability to judge her soul, you dont know why That is mysterious indeed. You could have discussed it without illustrating it so clearly. The other allegations against him were also by hearsay, and they put those allegations in writing and asked him to defend himself. In 1997, Warren Carroll acknowledged the debt Christendom College owed to L. Brent Bozell Jr. and Triumph magazine in his obituary for Bozell: In 1979, the College acquired its new campus in Front Royal, Virginia, overlooking the Shenandoah River. 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? [20][circular reference] When meeting with College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell and founder Dr. Warren Carroll in 1991, John Paul II told Carroll that Christendom College is doing a great work for the Church.[21], Pope Benedict XVI also gave his endorsement to Christendom College, saying, I am well aware of the distinguished record of Christendom College and of the outstanding contribution which it has made to Catholic life in the United States. I feel challenged, respected, and loved by my teachers and am so grateful to be their student. Sure, maybe. @ChristendomVA. Christendom College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. 2) The schools which do not have PDA rules, or whose rules are less strict still have rape. I think so. Clearly the college doesnt think it is patently false. Others have already addressed most of my concerns here though I would point out sexual assault is something that must be reported promptly. A male Residence Life staff member also lives on campus to assist the men. Wonder how thats working on all those great secular and Catholic-in-name only colleges that dont have those stupid single-sex dorm rules and have open alcohol and drug use in the dorms and on campus. Sounds great. Not everyone can be brought to justice so easily, but if you make no effort to even recognize an issue as an institution then that can become something serious. But it took me a second to realize what was happening. Podcast #57: And then the internet took off. Protected: Podcast 36: She googled THIS on a Friday night and what she saw made her lose her mind! Having the campus always on lockdown? However, a private institution has some flexibility in such matters, and it is not entirely dependent upon the acts of civil authorities. Anyway, campus police are a whole different bear. they arent normal. It sounds like from what the article describes, that they had to dig deeper to find a situation in which they could implement a punishment on the guy, and they told them that they understood their anguish. Consent is only nebulous when you refuse to take responsibility for yourself. Hardly anyone went down there for any good reason; it was the closest thing to a crypt. https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/11/18/rape-on-college-campuses-nearly-1-in-6-freshmen-women-are-assaulted. Another tangential point: I dont understand the outrage communicated by so many that the standards for women are so much higher than the one for men, and that a great amount of responsibility rests on our shoulders to keep men chaste. The reports indicate that Adele Smith indicated, after a prior incident with you, that she no longer wanted a relationship with you. Rights to a speedy trial. 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. Here it seems that the expectation was not only that she be believed(fathoming), but that immediate action be taken(aka solving). 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. She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. Students are prohibited from doing something reasonable on campus. 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.. Why insinuate the government is going to do it better. They havent apologized for the harm caused by their negligence in failing to treat these matters as serious. Accusing someone, officially, with a VIOLENT FELONY, particularly one that even absent a conviction, or even if done falsely can utterly destroy people, is not something you can just get away with. Can we PLEASE stop framing this as something between women and men and acknowledge that assault and coercion also happen between men and between women, as well as from women to men? Graduates can choose from three theological concentrations: Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, and Catechetics. Honestly, that is all I hear for the first half of the article. This response sounds like a trolling hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! Protected: Podcast 42: Jarods Prancing Musical Show!