BOSTON (MA)
Boston Herald
May 3, 2019
By Joe Dwinell
One of the city’s leading crusaders against sexual abuse in the Catholic church is calling on Northeastern University to explain to human-trafficking victims why it hosts the archives of the now-defunct Boston Phoenix — an alternative weekly fueled by prostitution ads.
The university addresses those ads by stating on the Snell Library website they were for “romantic mates,” and in a statement sent Saturday to the Herald saying readers need to “learn from and not repeat our mistakes.”
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, widely hailed nationally for exposing rampant sexual abuse in the church, told the Herald Northeastern needs to address the matter further.
“Given society’s attitude in regards to sexual trafficking, Northeastern University has a responsibility to more completely explain why it’s hosting those archives,” Garabedian said. “It’s painful to many victims of sex trafficking, sexual abuse and to society in general.”
Some of the old ads in the Phoenix, according to archived photos, included: “Romantic red head” looking to take a man “to heaven and back … live life at 100 mph,” and “blonde girl with big personality.” Others were more to the point.
In a statement, the dean of the Snell Library, professor Dan Cohen, did not address calls for a forum about why the college hosts the controversial archives.
“Libraries and archives retain the past so that we can strive to learn from and not repeat our mistakes,” he said.
“This often means preserving materials that are troubling and offensive. It is only through honestly studying and understanding the past — including our best and worst selves — that societies can ensure human progress.”
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