October 24, 2009
Father Provincial James Shea, S.J.
The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus
Suite 620
8600 LaSalle Road
Towson, Maryland 21286
provincial@mdsj.org
Re: Wheeling Jesuit University -- the 5Rs of Truth
Dear Father Provincial:
My alma mater, Wheeling Jesuit University, is plagued by three inextricably linked scandals. The dream of Fr. Clifford Lewis, S.J., our founder-in-chief, is now at the precipice. I and 10,000 others need your immediate assistance in rectifying the three scandals besetting WJU so that our school can chart a course to make Fr. Lewis's dream available for tomorrow's students.
Our conflict with the current regime is simply put: they insist upon secrecy; we insist upon openness. Secrecy versus openness in WJU's multiple scandals of NASA-honeypot-gate, presidential-coup-gate, and homosexual-predator-gate. Each of these -gates involves the ongoing concealment of wrongdoing. Secrecy punishes Julio Giulietti, and rewards Thomas Gleeson and Davitt McAteer. Openness is owed to the 10,000 who name WJU in their resumes and wills. The myopic arrogance of the oligarchy temporarily occupying the president's office and permanently occupying the dual boards has caused these scandals to explode throughout the blogosphere, newspapers, television, and talk-radio. WJU's public image created by the current regime, on a scale of 1 to 10, has been zero.
This is what we ask you to do, and this is why we ask you to do it.
We ask that you no longer tolerate these immoral actions and attitudes. Ultimately you are the one who can quickly restore morality, fairness, and justice to this campus of inequity. We ask that you take five actions: remove, reinstate, restore, replace, and resolve.
Remove the accused homosexual predator to protect students pending an investigation. Reinstate the president to protect the university by renewing his exemplary record of accomplishment. Restore accountability to the NASA program by requiring full disclosure of Davitt McAteer's oversight of the NASA debacle. Replace stonewalling secrecy with accessible openness! Resolve to act quickly and decisively.
Homosexual-predator-gate. Davitt McAteer's arrogant statement that "We have no plans to suspend Father Gleeson, nor conduct any investigation" while WJU knowingly harbors and shields the accused homosexual predator is in open defiance of the American bishops sexual misconduct policy mandating "openness" in such cases, and requiring an investigation with suspension or removal while the case is being investigated. Despicably, McAteer added, "I personally am happy to have Father Gleeson serving." We are not happy! Neither McAteer nor anyone else claims that Gleeson is innocent of homosexual predatory behavior. WJU-Trustee Gleeson was the defendant in a homosexual-predator case where the defendant paid off the complaining witness in a Michael-Jackson-style out-of-court settlement of the one-million-dollar case. Gleeson's activities on our WJU Board of Trustees have ranged from embarrassing to disastrous. There is no reason to keep him on that board. There must be more deserving Jesuits somewhere in the USA.
Presidential-coup-gate. The recent firing of our popular and successful President Julio Giulietti, S.J., and the recently uncovered identity of accused homosexual predator Thomas Gleeson, S.J. are inextricably linked. Gleeson was one of three WJU Trustees voting to fire the president. Two votes would not have been enough to remove Julio Giulietti. Had Thomas Gleeson, the accused homosexual predator, been removed or suspended before August as required by law (American bishops sexual misconduct policy), Julio Giulietti would still be President of Wheeling Jesuit University.
The Jesuit troika of Gerard Stockhausen, Thomas Gleeson, and Brian O'Donnell briefly held a secret telephone conference-call meeting, and voted to fire WJU President Julio Giulietti, S.J., in absentia without debate even though that was not on their agenda. The troika members have since cloaked themselves in secrecy.
Davitt McAteer, and the disgruntled Stockhausen, Gleeson, and O'Donnell have steadfastly stonewalled alumni and others asking for an explanation of the surreptitious firing of Julio Giulietti. We do know that this evil firing had to be rushed in order to conceal the president's superlative evaluation by faculty, students, community, and alumni -- and by his exemplary record of accomplishment!
Firing the president for no stated reason is tantamount to character assassination of a good and decent Jesuit who acted honorably. The reason for the troika action is still shrouded in secrecy. Public opposition to rule by troika will be devastating to WJU in years to come, and has the potential of hurting all 28 Jesuit colleges.
Reinstating our president instantly remedies all these surreptitious evils, and places WJU on a path toward eliminating the debt and bringing Fr. Lewis's dream to future students.
NASA-honeypot-gate. Immediately preceding the initial board action against Julio Giulietti, NASA issued an audit report highly critical of WJU. That timing cannot be dismissed as merely coincidental! When asked if some form of ghost payrolling was involved, McAteer declined comment. This cannot be excused as merely a $4,000,000 clerical error OK'd by a supervisor and signed off on by the administrator. For certain, Julio Giulietti had not been president long enough to be responsible for the increased debt caused by this NASA debacle.
NASA issues the audit report critical of WJU and immediately McAteer replaces Giulietti! The public perception is clear: WJU has been placed between avaricious men and a pile of money. Remedy: a restoration of accountability to the NASA program by requiring full disclosure of Davitt McAteer's oversight of the NASA debacle.
Stonewall Secrecy Shrouds Scandals. "We are first and foremost a community of scholars, seekers of the truth." So said President Julio Giulietti, S.J. initiating his open-door administration. Now the agenda of the entrenched regime is silence and secrecy rather than openness and reform. The troika firing squad was immediately whisked away with zipped lips. No open inquiry on this campus!
The resolution of these three scandals is too important to be handled by a closed clique. It will affect all, and should be open to all. Tear down the stonewall erected by McAteer, Stockhausen, Gleeson, O'Donnell, et al. Tell the unvarnished truth to all! Replace stonewalling secrecy with accessible openness!
Resolve. Fr. Clifford Lewis always seemed more accessible and closer to my life than other Jesuits, possibly because he had been married and had held a job in the free enterprise sector. I remember him as a loyal friend. A true visionary, he had the resolve, the fixity of purpose, to make the tough decisions. We ask you to now walk in his footsteps. Please do not allow Fr. Lewis's dream, our dream, to die.
Each of these outrageous scandals must be openly rectified if WJU is to survive. A drastic purgative is required. To do less would be akin to waiving a lantern at a runaway train. Remove Thomas Gleeson. Reinstate President Julio Giulietti. Restore accountability to Davitt McAteer's NASA oversight. Replace stonewalling secrecy with accessible openness. Resolve to act quickly and decisively.
Magna est veritas et praevalebit!
Michael J. Fahy, B.A., J.D.
WJU Alumnus
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Oct. 28, 2009. To: Mr. Michael J. Fahy,J.D., and readers of this "blog". I see in re-visiting this site tonight that my name is recorded as a "follower" of the site. My "visit" should in no way be interpreted as an indication of my support or agreement with the accusations or opinions expressed therein. I have no way of determining whether the firing of Fr. Giuletti was justified, or not. By inference, it appears that the action might have been unjustified. I do agree with, and support the recomendations, all of a positive nature, made by alumnus Lou Stahl in a letter also circulated to alumni, concerning the matter. These, appropriately, address questions of governance of the institution Whether any, all, or part of the charges made in this site are true or not is for others to determine, and to deal with as appropriate. Ultimately, these matters should be resolved in a manner in accord with the principles of a Jesuit education, so effectively substantiated and taught at Wheeling since its first students arrived at this house of learning in 1954. Regards, Larry Meagher, '65.
ReplyDeleteI must pose one strong objection to Mr. Fahy's letter, namely the linking of child molestation with homosexuality. This was a tactic initially employed as a red herring by the Church during the recent scandals. Modern psychology recognizes a far more sophisticated methodology of classifying pedophiles and child molesters. Using a loaded term such as "homosexual" only serves to lend added emotional punch by invoking a discredited stereotype long rejected by the majority of the public.
ReplyDeleteWhat is disturbing about about this case is the lack of transparency and the stunningly hypocritical actions of WJU's board and it's supporters in the administration. While it would seem that WJU's leadership is willing to remove dissenters in the most clandestine of fashions, they are equally quick to dismiss well-documented cases of untoward behavior when they benefit from the relationship with the (presumably) guilty party.
It should be noted that the administration's silence on these matters indicates an arrogance that echoes the Church's unwillingness to properly address its own scandals a decade ago.
Correcting the previous comment by Anonymous -- Mr. Fahy's letter does NOT link child molestation with homosexuality. Tommy Gleeson's accuser was an adult male. Homosexual predator, yes; but no child was involved.
ReplyDelete