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Vol. XCV No. 13
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A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Settlements reached in O’Connell abuse-lawsuits Jesuits attribute resolutions, over 20 years in the making, to ‘mediation’ By TIM WILHELM News Editor
The new year heralded the settlement of two cases against former SLU president Daniel C. O’Connell, S.J., involving alleged sexual abuse against two women. The Missouri Jesuit Province and the University paid $200,000 to a plaintiff known as Jane Doe 929, and the Province paid $81,000 to a plaintiff known as Jane Doe MB. Filed in 2010, the latter lawsuit carried a breach of contract charge. The Missouri Province (now titled “Southern and Central”) had paid a settlement of $181,000 to the same plaintiff in 2003 in response to allegations that O’Connell sexually assaulted her while she was studying abroad in Rome during the spring and summer of 1983. O’Connell was then a chaplain at Loyola University in Chicago, where Jane Doe MB was a student. The settlement’s other terms entailed O’Connell’s restriction from “non-public ministerial contact with women” and “public priestly ministry,” as well as from teaching, campus ministry, counseling and retreats, according to St. Louis Circuit Court documents. In June 2003, Frank Reale, S.J., the Jesuit Provincial at the time, wrote a letter to Jane Doe
Courtesy of SLU Archives / Design by Ryan Quinn
SETTLED: Fr. O’Connell, a Jesuit and SLU’s president from 1974 to 1978, was at the center of two civil lawsuits. One involved a breach of contract from a past suit settled in 2003; the other brought a new case of sexual assault. MB stating that he had requested O’Connell’s resignation from Loyola and his transfer back to the Missouri Province. An attached Settlement and Release Agreement from the Jesuits of the Missouri Province clarifies: “This agreement shall not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of any party.” How-
ever, Reale wrote in his letter that, “Although I find it impossible to determine with certainty the precise details and the exact extent of the abuse, nonetheless I do find credible your allegation of abusive behavior on the part of Fr. O’Connell.” Jane Doe MB filed suit seven years later, after learning that O’Connell had taught at Georgetown and
A case for Campus Carry? “It’s not just the equipment, but it’s a person trained to use the equipIn December of 2015, two ment, a person trained to Missouri lawmakers promonitor the equipment,” posed legislation that would said Moran. “We have 80 allow students, faculty and buildings on campus, and visitors at universities to carso the costs to the university ry concealed weapons. would be significant.” Sen. Bob Dixon (RWhile Moran has not Springfield) and Sen. Brian looked into exactly how Munzlinger (R-Wilmuch these installaliamstown) both pretions would cost, he filed bills that would did say that at SLU I am vehemently opposed to lift the ban on conspecifically, they that legislation, as is the Unicealed weapons on would not be necesversity. While I respect everycollege campuses. sary. In his tenure This law currently at SLU, he has only body’s constitutional rights, I states, “a concealed dealt with one incithink that we have a very well carry permit does dent involving a stunot allow a person to dent bringing a gun carry concealed fireon campus. arms into any higher Moran explained here capable of keeping the education institution that the student did campus safe. without the consent not have the intenof the governing tion to cause harm, -Jim Moran, DPS Director body of the institubut was an enthusiast tion or a school ofwho liked to shoot ficial.” of keeping the campus safe,” his gun at a local range. While Dixon declined an said Moran. “They are very Moran concluded that this interview with The Univerwell trained and trained in student made a poor choice sity News, the senator was active-shooter response, and by bringing his weapon to quoted in the “Springfield I think that is the appropricampus and was disciplined News-Leader” explaining his ate way to provide security accordingly. desire to lift the ban and proto the campus.” “I think that we have a pose the legislation that he The proposed legislation great population here, and has marketed as the “campus does grant universities an I think everybody abides by carry” bill. out if they do not want to alour rules, for the most part,” “Let’s say the permit low concealed carry on their said Moran. “In my tenure, holder is a 21-year-old fecampus. But this exemption everybody but one has abidmale,” Dixon argued, saying, comes at a cost; a cost that ed by this rule that there are “If she’s attacked on the west Moran says would be “signo weapons allowed on camside of National (Avenue) in nificant.” pus.” Springfield, I’m referring to “We could be granted More specifically, Moran the (Missouri State Universian exception, but we would doesn’t believe that students, ty) campus, should she have be required to meet certain or anyone else who comes a different set of rights than criteria and one of those is to SLU’s campus, should be if she was attacked on the [installing] metal detectors,” able to carry a weapon, beother side of the street? No.” said Moran. cause there is no real way to At Saint Louis University, Universities would be able know what that individual’s the proposed legislation was to choose between metal met with opposition from detectors or armed guards, Jim Moran, the Assistant which would have to be at See “Bill” on Page 3 Vice President and Director every building on campus.
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of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. “I am vehemently opposed to that legislation, as is the University. While I respect everybody’s constitutional rights, I think that we have a very well trained and efficient, and sufficient, security force here capable
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By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor
Fordham universities and had said Mass in Germany in the meantime. Reading coverage of this case in the New York Times led Jane Doe 929 to file her suit in 2012, alleging that O’Connell had sexually abused her during counseling sessions when she was an undergraduate. “Both the Jane Doe MB and Jane Doe 929 cases have
been resolved through mediation and resolutions for each case are in the process of being implemented,” read a statement from the Central and Southern Jesuit Province. “In resolving the cases through mediation, it was our goal to provide an opportunity for and assistance with healing. We understand that it is important for us to respond compassionately
and in a timely way whenever anyone brings forward an allegation against any of our members.” The organization asserted that it “has policies and educational programs in place to ensure that all of our members are trained in maintaining professional boundaries. The Province is independently certified by Praesidium Religious Services of Arlington, Texas, to be in complete compliance with all aspects of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children. All Jesuit institutions continue to work diligently to ensure each is a safe environment.” In its own statement, SLU’s administration said: “The Jane Doe 929 case involving Saint Louis University and other parties has been resolved. As a Catholic, Jesuit educational institution, SLU is committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment conducive to the academic pursuit and healthy personal development of all persons. It is committed to the preservation of personal dignity and the safety of its community members.” David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors See “O’Connell” on Page 3
Metro UPass pilot program By PAUL BRUNKHORST Editor-in-Chief
Last year, during SLU’s budget negotiations, members of the Student Government Association’s (SGA) executive board presented an idea to university president Dr. Fred Pestello and other key administrators. They asked for money to fund a program to purchase MetroLink and MetroBus passes for SLU students – a program already in place at other schools in the area, like the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University. That request became reality on Monday, Jan. 11, when UPass cards were made available to freshmen – who can retrieve them out of their BSC mailboxes – as part of a pilot program, costing approximately $35,000,
paid for out of the university budget. The initiation of the program, though, is the culmination of months of work and collaboration between various SLU leaders – including SGA president Jay Bryant and Director of Parking and Card Services Laura Forhan – and Metro authorities in St. Louis. “There has been a lot of effort put in on this on working with Metro – we’ve been working with them since April – on kind of putting this together and making it a success,” said Forhan. “Metro has come up with a campaign … they’ve helped us with a lot of things in making this a success … We want the students to get out and enjoy the city … We just want to make sure that students are able to get out and
be a part of the community, not just the university.” The program runs from Jan. 11 to May 13, and it will only be available for freshmen – which was part of the agreement between SLU and Metro. “Originally, we wanted to have a group of select students from a bunch of different classes, randomly select students,” said Forhan. “Metro does not allow that because the pricing structure is based on students who use it and who don’t use it. So it would have to be an entire set of students, so what they agreed to was to have one set of [a] class.” Both Bryant and Forhan stressed that the freshman class was then chosen by See “Metro” on Page 3
Ryan Quinn / The University News
GETTING AROUND: As part of a collaborative campaign between St. Louis Metro and SLU, the freshman class received passes for the city’s transportation system.