Five Saint Louis University administrators met with the Rainbow Alliance and other concerned members of the University community on Nov. 20 to discuss the harassment of three Rainbow Alliance members by a professor in October.
Provost Joe Weixlmann, Ph. D., Kent Porterfield, vice president for student development, Phil Lyons, assistant vice president for student development, Adam Peck, director of student life and Lisa Reiter, director of campus ministry were all on hand to discuss the issue in an open forum with about 40 members of the University community. Rainbow Alliance President Jenna Wells and Matt LeBlanc, Rainbow Alliance’s faculty advisor, were also present and served as moderators of the discussion.
The incident took place mid-day on Monday, Oct. 9 in the Busch Student Center while three members of the Rainbow Alliance were manning a table near the entrance. SLU student Justin Gimotea, who was one of the Rainbow Alliance members present, said that the professor walked by the table and then came back to ask the students if they thought their actions in support of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual (GLBT) community; were in line with Jesuit ideals.
He used biblical language to criticize homosexuality. The students felt compelled to defend themselves. Gimotea began citing psychological evidence that homosexuality is not a disorder. Gimotea said the professor responded by saying “I am a scientist,” and continued criticizing the students. After drawing attention from passersby and being asked to leave several times, he left without identifying himself. The encounter lasted about 10 minutes, rather than 45 minutes as earlier reports stated in The University News.
Weixlmann began the discussion by summarizing the actions that had been taken since the incident took place. He said that he had met with the Rainbow Alliance members involved. “The students had ample opportunity to discuss the incident,” Weixlmann said. Weixlmann also said that he spent more than two hours discussing the issue with the professor involved along with that professor’s dean and department chair.
The conversation then turned away from the root of the discord, as students and administrators focused on ways to encourage diversity and avoid future discrimination. Weixlmann indicated his desire to “ensure that this is a welcoming community . [by instituting] training programs, awareness activities or overall change in practice to encourage diversity.” Weixlmannsaid that a handful of programs supporting diversity had been instituted, but that instances like this are “a sign that we need to do more . This is not going to go away.”
Porterfield said that he had started working with students to develop peer education programs and a publication that supports diversity, “[We have] begun some activity along those lines.”
Each member of the administrative panel said that the Rainbow Alliance is supported by the University and that diversity is encouraged in general. Reiter clarified the stance of the Catholic Church toward the GLTB community.
While the Church doesn’t condone homosexual intercourse, it recognizes that homosexuality is not intrinsically sinful and it calls for respect toward homosexual individuals. “We should not be using the Bible as a way to demean [any group],” Reiter said.
She also said that SLU’s religious identity is not in conflict with the Rainbow Alliance, “Jesuits have always been concerned with those on the margins.” She called the Rainbow Alliance a “place of safety” and condemned harassment, saying “You should not have to endure that kind of pain.”
Another area of discussion addressed over the course of the two-hour meeting was students’ general frustration with the lengthy bureaucratic process of reporting grievances. A number of students said that they didn’t know who to go to should they ever be compelled to discuss their concerns about the university. Weixlmann encouraged students to contact a trusted university employee, “If there is something at the University that you find bothersome, tell someone [a member of the University’s faculty or staff].” A number of the administrative panelists made themselves available for such concerns.
Gimotea views the discussion on acceptance as a positive change made possible by a negative situation. “The administration’s response has been very good . This face-to-face, honest dialogue demonstrates the administration’s willingness to do something [to encourage] diversity.”
He has received a letter of apology from the professor. “I believe the apology is sincere,” he said, “I have no animosity toward the professor.”
He said he is hopeful about the “important times” that SLU will face as administrators and students work together to encourage diversity.
LeBlanc reflects the same optimistic attitude regarding the meeting, saying that the administration “put the students at ease.” “It was good for the Rainbow Alliance to hear that the University accepts them [and that] they have a place on campus.” He said that the students directly involved with the incident were there and are excited to move forward by encouraging diversity on campus.
In an interview after the meeting, Weixlmann echoed his earlier calls for acceptance. “Everybody in the current [University] community needs to be more alert to . appropriate levels of human interaction,” he said.
When asked about potential punishments for the professor, Weixlmann did not offer specific information. “We simply don’t discuss personnel issues,” he said. However, he did say that he had a course of action in mind.
He said that the professor’s identity is “known narrowly.” “The students have elected not to publicly identify the individual,” he said. “The students have handled this in a principled way . they have been focused on the individual issue [of encouraging diversity and acceptance].”
For now, most students and administrators seem focused on moving forward and avoiding similar incidents in the future by instituting new programs geared toward getting individuals in the community to understand the University’s stance of openness and acceptance.
