Chicago University Insists on Hiring Sexual Harasser

SNAP
May 20, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/il_chicago_university_insists_on_hiring_sexual_harasser

A Chicago Catholic university is confirming today that it still is hiring the most recent U.S. ambassador to the Vatican despite allegations that he “likely” recently sexually harassed a married couple. This is a stunningly reckless move.

[insidehighered.com]

Miguel H. Diaz will start as a professor at Loyola University on July 1. The university says it conducted its own review into the allegations and decided to move forward with hiring Diaz.

We strongly urge Loyola University officials to reverse this irresponsible decision. At a bare minimum, we believe students, staff and the public have a right to know how university officials allegedly conducted their “review” and who was involved in it. We urge students and staff at Loyola to insist on this transparency.

No students and staff at any college should be subjected to sexual harassment. Given the findings of University of Dayton officials, Diaz does not belong on any campus.

This case is similar to one at Adrian College, a Methodist school in Michigan. Adrian officials hired Thomas Hodgman as a professor, despite his sworn admission that he sexually abused a teenaged high school girl, and despite allegations that he impregnated her, gave her a sexually transmitted disease and molested two other girls. One of Hodgman's victims, Joelle Casteix, won a $1.6 million settlement. But Hodgman still teaches at Adrian today.

How can universities continue to be so careless about the safety of their students and staff?