While the classes and Catholic culture are unique, the college administration struggles with some modernization of the buildings . 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. It would be good if Christendoms response was similarly specific. 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. BUT. The comparison between rape and public drunkenness is egregiously unfair. The article linked directly to the current handbook.. It is not uncommon, either. The PDA does NOT push kids into private remote areas. When she was there, it wasnt possible. They re-wrote the handbook over the summer? Thats America. The truth matters little. What Adele says about not allowing PDAs on campus may seem like an interesting topic for discussion but dragging Christendom down the road of shame because they dont have coed dorms is really not the answer. One day, she was sitting and waiting for a friend to come out of his dorm, and the young man who had assaulted her came out. It would do a lot to restore peoples faith in the institution. I mean, if men are more rational and authoritative and have more of the image of God in them, why would I be afraid to be alone with this superior being? I hope you will also do an expose on colleges such as Notre Damethe wackadoodle attitudes I encountered there regarding women and sex would make your head spin. Merely printing something against rape seems redundant, though. regina coeli hallBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. student centerBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, churchBy AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, mens dorm By AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, sealBy Niall ODonnell (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (. And if the woman involved was going to say yes anyway to whatever he suggested in terms of where they were going, as she said in the article, how would this have been any different even if there were different or no PDA rules? Congrats for finding a better life path. . He said she noticed a change in her, and wanted her to know he was there to help her if she wanted to talk. I could leave my laptop lying out anywhere on campus, with no password, and be confident I could come back and find it un-stolen. The other allegations against him were also by hearsay, and they put those allegations in writing and asked him to defend himself. Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. Ive been guessing and guessing whoever it is seems to still have his good reputation intact. To think that anyone could do that to such a young child is eye-opening indeed, and helpful to know for those of us raising kids to know what to beware of. If the regulations force people to leave campus to kiss, then they are actually encouraging the kinds of situations that make assault more likely to occur even while they discourage it in other ways. He then began approaching and provoking her on campus. 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. 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. If Christendom University has an ongoing serious problem (and it may for all I know), this article doesnt demonstrate that. In one way, Im glad I have this information. 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. The wonderful thing is that in America there are thousands of schools that allow all of those things. If you think about it for half a second, youd realize youre asking more of Christendom than literally any institution could ever do, at least when it comes to prevention. It wasnt until the beginning of her junior year that she heard the word rape applied to her ordeal. Lets embrace it. I also think men need to be educated, be kept accountable, and step up their game. Would you like to explain, please, what you mean by inaccuracies? Smith says the school claimed it takes a long time to implement changes in school policy. Youve been completely infected by the porn saturated culture we live in. As a current parent at Christendom I was floored by this article. For most of American history, the light-skinned Jesus conjured up by white congregations demanded the. Come on. The school has a very thorough policy in place, and anyway, this was not in Christendoms jurisdiction, so their hands were legally tied in their dealings regarding the actual rape. Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. Protected: Podcast 36: She googled THIS on a Friday night and what she saw made her lose her mind! Maybe because I studied theology and philosophy I did not experience this? The curriculum consists of three years of study in Theology, three years in Philosophy, two years in English Language and Literature, two years in Classical or Modern Language, two years in History, one year in Political Science and Economics, one year in Mathematics and Natural Science, and 4 years of Education for Life career preparation coursework. no government financial help??? It is this faith that has been the guiding beacon during some difficult and seemingly hopeless times, even when I had turned my heart against Him and turned my back on [faith]. Smith says that the administration cracked down on professors hosting off-campus parties, because they involved drinking. Rapes happen far more frequently on college campuses where anything goes. 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! Were charged ever filed? The college was criticized for in the past not including rules against sexual assault in their handbook, while not offering any idea on what is now included in the Christendoms policy on sexual assault. 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. While this student should have somehow received better care, and more protection from this guy later, and while her story is heartrending, it should not be published in an article whose objective is obviously to smear the college and all the good for which it stands. Dont even get me going on how Steubenville is just a fusion of vineyard Pentecostalism with JP2 Catholicism. Shes a hater. Is Christendom even trying to address this problem with town government? And victims have the right to be taken seriously, to not be dismissed. The teachers provide a well rounded education of philosophy, history, theology, literature and political science. Please refrain from proselytizing to members of this community. Seriously. They brought the skills of their craft to shining a light on the dark underbelly of this college. But he did take it away from her, she says. Unfortunately, sexual assault is happening throughout the Catholic (and homeschooling) community in Front Royal, not just Christendom. Help me fund this site and get access to my and my husbands occasional podcast and other perks. What is your point really? Next came many months of frustration for the Smith family. Higher rates of rape, according to USNews&World Report. I dont know what the contents of the interview between the college and the perp are. [3] Carroll stepped back to focus on teaching history and writing, remaining on the faculty and serving as the chairman of the history department until his retirement in 2002. I cant get into grad school with my GPA. It seems they pushed for this charge as there was an actual witness, perhaps more, to that specific behavior. The Dean or an RA could drive out and get you. Lately, I've started "coming out" as an agnostic to most of my friends from there. Money should not stand in the way of your dreams, Those looking at Catholic colleges frequentlyask: How can I afford this education? Whenit comes to Christendom College, the realquestion families should be asking is: Howcan I afford not to attend Christendom?. Was there ever a police report filed? In the charge letter delivered to the young man on July 19, 2011, then-dean Jesse Dorman wrote: The intent of the Student Life Office is to support each student as he or she works to grow in virtue . Not really much in her comment to provoke a snippy answer anyway. Deciding to proceed with creating a parallel court system over allegations as serious and difficult to determine as rape is a momentous decision fraught with difficulties both legal and practical. Are women safe in Christendoms bubble? Are you seriously suggesting universities ban men from campus who are accused of rape with no proof and without an accuser who is even willing to go to the police or a local hospital for a rape kit exam, etc. Smith and her family were floored. This response sounds like a trolling hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! The students arent punished for drinking off campus, they are punished for being drunk ON campus. That is not an easy thing to set up, yet the article claims that adding a sexual assault policy to the handbook is as easy as, opening a word document and writing it up: Dont rape people.'. [3] The college also retired nearly $600,000 in debt without disrupting the growth of the college.[8]. Casting aspersions on the Fisherss motivations reveals much about the commenter. 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). I currently attend Christendom. Outrage, anger and sadness swept across the city as elected officials processed the racist . 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. Grad school was a very supportive environment for me in a number of ways. The message delivered was clear, according to Smith. For example, Dr. Divietri is just mentioned in passing but it did not say which side the author put him on, so you are left to assume that all names mentioned were complicit in the negligent handling of this case. 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? You may think thats not what Simcha is actually advocating for, but her complaint comes across as about as realistic. It has been hard to process that and it is hard to look back without having suspicions towards many of even the "well-meaning and reasonable" authorities on campus. Holy crap, anonymous. Read that section of the post again. 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. Again, every college in America that has less strict PDA rules (nearly every college in America) has rape. False accusations may be relatively rare, but they are still real. He told her her back might be more comfortable in the back seat, and they could put the laptop in the center console to listen to music. Adele Smith, in the article above, expected to perpetrator to be expelled based on her narrative that she presented. Christendom has taken several steps forward. The Churchs teaching on this, particularly Pope John Paul II really upholds a woman in her own right and this was taught quite clearly at Christendom. Protected: Podcast 3dunno: Even Wilder Turkey! And I think hearing the other side is always critical. Going Drinkin with Lincoln before class on Lincolns Birthday and getting buzzed or worse. And what possible jurisdiction would the college have for activity that did not take place on its property? Christendom College does not receive federal funding, and so is not subject to Title IX regulations, which would legally require it to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments. Adele Smith, class of 2012, experienced some culture shock when she arrived at Christendom. You shooting in the dark hoping to hit a target, isnt helping. You clearly didnt read my comments carefully. Why would the accusers parents ever, ever, ever send their daughter back to the place where she was abused and seemingly unhappy, uncomfortable and failing classes? But there were many inaccuracies about the school: we never had to get outfits approved for dates, you are allowed to sit next to each other, and we didnt have to wear skirts all the time. ), Protected: Podcast #48: Accidentally unnamed, Protected: Podcast #46: Mamas little snakey loves bananofee pie, Protected: Podcast #45: Sharples and cocaine, Protected: Podcast 44: Some degree of martyrdom, One long dad joke: My interview with EOTTs S.C. Naoum. They had a legal responsibility to investigate throughly, and a moral responsibility to respond appropriately, which they did not do. faculty, staff, etc.). Her article makes plenty of sense. Which most of us dont want to read. I am having trouble understanding how policies against public displays of affection and against men & women being in each others dorms contributes to rape. But then into your mind jumps the thought no, I wanted to be married. Since 1977, Christendom has been providing the best Catholic liberal arts education to prepare students to restore all things in Christ. Not that simple. I appreciate your thoughtful comments. They have pointed to several problem areas that are not yet fixed. They have further to go to create safe environments for women. It may be that the whole thing wasnt handled as it should have been, but then, how should it have been handled? I would go down the road to the convenience store, and hed be sitting outside, and I couldnt walk in. The people from Christendom would be considered heretics by hard core traditional Catholics, and by the letter of the law they would be right (at least in my view). the Administration could and should have done better here. Dont deny the bad, but try to find the good. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. You should realize how awful it is to give the impression that the woman who was raped merely only implied 50% no. It felt like a never ending guilt trip. So you know how safe it felt and looked. This is not degrading but a call to heroism on both sides. It is an extremely difficult crime to convict someone of, and unfortunately, without proof or conviction, legally not much can be done. [in loco parentis] is not a phrase that I use with any frequency, ODonnell wrote toward the end of his letter to Scott Smith. The victims always blame themselves.. College disciplinary boards, however, can set whatever standards they want, especially a completely independent institution like Christendom. Or going to the county if the town is not addressing it? The Christendom scandal, is about an administration, who got ahold of a case after the legal authorities were already informed and failed to do anything, and then tried to fix the problem in a very lowkey diplomatic way, that would prevent them from being sued by the kids family. How can a school prevent a student from going off campus to rape another? 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. 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. Like that has never happened before on a less stringent campus. Only as an adult did I see the dynamics of power, coercion, grooming and (lack of) consent at play, and even when I began to tell my story, many people brushed it off as in onsequential. There are so many other choices that dont have these rules. She was at a party hosted by her theology teacher, Eric Jenislawski, after a meeting of the Chester-Belloc Debate Society. higher education Discover more about Christendom College Others Named Mark Fusco Mark Fusco Account Executive at Black Kite Mark Fusco An RA friend, Elizabeth Foeckler, also encouraged her to go to the administration. What did happen on campus was punished. Hes not stopping. 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. I felt him, she said. It still deserves to be addressed adequately by the Admins, but we were much safer than most campuses. I understand that everyone has a different experience at college. I have lived in Front Royal for more than 15 years. All rights reserved. The students views, whether they arrived with them or picked them up at Christendom, were wildly sexist both men and women. The steps they have taken are a good beginning, but only that. Christendom College was gestated in the womb of, Student sexual assault and harassment allegations, Christendom College Graduate School of Theology, See Ibby Caputo and Jon Marcus, "The Controversial Reason Some Religious Colleges Forgo Federal Funding,", The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, The John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, The Founding, the Building, and the Glory of Christendom College, "A History of Christendom College | Christendom College", "About Federal Funding | Christendom College", ":: Christendom College News and Events:: The Origins of Christendom College", "Rankings & Endorsements | Christendom College", "A Catholic university providing undergraduate and graduate degrees in a vibrantly Catholic environment | Franciscan University of Steubenville", "Christendom Launches 45th Anniversary Year with Record Enrollment", "Christendom Defies National Enrollment Trend, Implements Waiting List", "Undergraduate Faculty | Christendom College", "White House 'College Scorecard' shuts out conservative schools", "Christendom College to Dedicate New Chapel Next April", "Pope St. John Paul II Meets with Christendom College", "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College", "Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivers the commencement address at Christendom College", https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-controversial-reason-some-religious-colleges-forgo-federal-funding/490253/, "Are women safe in Christendom's bubble? [2] It still occupies this site today. We cant! Another no escapes your lips and you make another feeble effort to turn away or push his hands away. He encouraged her to get counseling and to tell the school administration what had happened. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. It is getting totally repetitive, but here goes: Is hearing both sides unreasonable? At that point, he does not see the difference between this no and that one. Do this by bringing up older, isolated issues and make it sound like the college has done next to nothing to improve. While I am not a Christendom graduate, I know many graduates. She said she realized she could not stop the man. My objective is to make Christendom more accountable for the safety of its students. I can understand the experience of being surrounded by 'unholy' people and being unable to come to grips with them being Not Catholic Enough, though. Accused have rights. That whole place was dressed in golden robes lined with lead. That's no coincidence. I have seen no evidence that Christendom reported the accusation. Well said. It is not a tether. All the people who are asking if Christendom girls could really be that naive, yes! Hes obviously prideful and arrogant. Not super romantic. Are you saying that these rapists would have been content to make out on a public bench or in a public common room? He kept saying, Hit me. He kept grabbing my hand and trying to make me slap him, Smith said. Undergraduate students combine a liberal arts core-curriculum with eventual upper-level courses in their major field (or fields) of study. What policy would you advocate? It isnt nebulous. But at the same time, Christendom was a dream in a bubble. Which means, of course, he may very well have done it again. Im glad you ran this story, and I hope it will help schools be more accountable. Not because they are animals, but because our culture is hyper-sexualized in a way that has been hitherto unseen. In April of 2011, Smith decided to tell the police about the rape. . But I am saying, and I think Simcha is saying too, that the accuser was not treated properly. But consent is not usually nebulous. Our countrys policies right now generally say yes for potential terrorists, but no for potential rapists. Protected: Podcast 42: Jarods Prancing Musical Show! Never mind the mental health agony I endured in thinking I had brought on myself same-sex erotic involvement. Smith, who was then a sophomore, says she was so naive, she didnt even know to use the word rape until many months later. Burning at the stake fits the witch-hunt analogy, because thats what this article amounts to. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college offering a time-tested and rigorous education that develops the student's intellect in such a powerful way that he graduates with the ability to master any. I kept up with a few of my friar classmates over the years. 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. Location & Contact Address 134 Christendom Drive Front Royal, VA 22630 United States Contact Mr. Ben Marsh Associate Director of Admissions Email: ben.marsh@christendom.edu Phone: 500-227-7233 Update my info Larger Map Majors & Degrees The fact that they used a separate situation to impose a restriction on him should give you a sense of how they had to act within their own evidentiary boundaries to avoid being sued. But honestly what is Smith talking about when she refers to the only cafe in town?? We can use this process to address inappropriate comments or unreasonable behavior that makes students feel uncomfortable. Take a second to support simchajfisher on Patreon! it was that, or sit in a brightly-lit classroom, with room for the Holy Spirit between you, and since its a public area, anybody might happen by and join you. No matter how it is said, when it is said. Students live near the Vatican during the fall and spring, taking classes in St. Peter's Square and traveling across Europe during their time abroad. First, Christendom College could have made their own report to the police. 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. 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. She felt frozen and could not reply. Misogyny is woven deep into the schools culture. That is a philosophical question where I think people can legitimately disagree. It doesnt discredit their criticism, but it does show an obvious bias that the scandal is associated with the school and not the park police or FroRo police. Accountability, yes, definitely. Its handling of the case may not have been malicious, but it was certainly pusillanimous. As a graduate of Christendom, I see no reason why he couldnt have been expelled.