
February 20, 2018
Joseph DeLozier, Chairman
The Rt. Rev. John Howard, Chancellor
Margaret McLarty, Secretary
John M. McCardell, Jr., Vice-Chancellor
Dear Officers of the Board of Regents,
We are writing this open letter to respectfully request that you reconsider the retention of Charlie Rose’s honorary degree. We would like to add our voices to those of the student trustees, in their original petition to the university Regents, and the voices of the tenured faculty of the School of Theology. We fully endorse the points made in their letters (See Theology letter here). We would also like to thank the Honorary Degree Committee for creating a forum for faculty comments and also for recognizing that some faculty may wish to contribute to this process anonymously.
Although we acknowledge, as these parties have, that there are many difficulties presented by such a decision, we would like to present to you the case based on current thinking in the fields of criminal justice and victim advocacy.
Much of the impetus behind the #metoo and #timesup movements has emerged from victims and allies willing to go on the record and speak the truth about sexual harassment and violence. Many have risked a great deal to come forward with their stories, and the impact of the current moment is almost entirely based on victims’ willingness to go on the record. We would like to particularly acknowledge the student trustees, Claire Brickson (C’18) and Mary Margaret Murdock (C’19), for their courage in pursuing the honorable course of action. Thus, we would also like to go on the record with our concerns regarding this decision.
The Theology faculty have spoken eloquently on church text and tradition and the guidance it provides, certainly far more eloquently than we might. We would like to add that the position taken in the letter of response to the student trustees is not consistent with current best practices in criminal justice or advocacy.
There is a place for forgiveness in the secular systems of justice. The restorative justice movement focuses on helping to return all members of a community to a state of well-being after a crime, instead of primarily focusing on punishment. This week, Bishop Tutu’s daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, is visiting campus, and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a well-known example of a justice process that includes a prominent role for the possibility of forgiveness in the aftermath of violence.
However, this is a process that starts with, as the name of the South African commission suggests, truth. Although Charlie Rose released a statement with a brief apology, he also minimized and denied the incidents and tried to re-frame them as pursuit of mutual romantic interests. These sorts of minimizations are further harms in and of themselves, not any true form of restorative justice or restitution. It is worth quoting briefly from the account provided by Kyle Godfrey-Ryan. She worked for Rose in the mid-2000s, and she “recalled at least a dozen instances where Rose walked nude in front of her while she worked in one of his New York City homes. He also repeatedly called the then-21-year-old late at night or early in the morning to describe his fantasies of her swimming naked in the Bellport pool as he watched from his bedroom, she said.” (note Rose would have been in his 60s at the time) (https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/eight-women-say-charlie-rose-sexually-harassed-them–with-nudity-groping-and-lewd-calls/2017/11/20/9b168de8-caec-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?utm_term=.554144a17c93). These and other incidents are not accidental overtures in circumstances that might be reasonably expected to be received positively. This is systematic victimization of people over whom he had considerable authority, and whose responses could have a profound negative impact on their livelihoods.
Minimization, denial, and blame are the key tools that perpetrators use to get away with abuse and to avoid any punishment for abuse. Yes, Charlie Rose might some day be forgiven, but it is inappropriate to forgive him while he continues to invalidate the accounts of these women and deny the full truth of what he has done.
We would also like to address the issue of “due process” that has been brought up in many recent discussions regarding this emerging reckoning. Due process is one of our most important legal rights, but it refers to the death penalty, imprisonment, the confiscation of property, and other government-imposed penalties. Due process does not necessarily require a standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt,” even in courts, which often use a “preponderance of evidence” standard for civil cases. Certainly, Sewanee should not attempt to imprison Charlie Rose. However, it is perfectly appropriate for Sewanee to rely on the preponderance of evidence in determining who Sewanee honors. This push back against disclosures, by calling for a higher and higher bar to be met before even the most minor social (not legal) consequences can be imposed, is an instrument of oppression meant to silence victims.
Our first obligation is to protect our community and our students. It is imperative that we create a safe, accessible space for all students, which is a Title IX obligation as well as the core value on which our institution is founded. By refusing to revoke this honorary degree, then we communicate that the harassment of women is less important than having a TV show. We communicate that the harassment of women is less important than celebrity. We communicate that the harassment of women is less important than avoiding acknowledging that our institution made an innocent mistake, based on the imperfect information that was available at the time.
Charlie Rose is not a role model for our students. He does not deserve the esteem of faculty, staff, or alumni. He is a serial predator who used his position of power to harm others, thinking only of himself and the indulgence of his desires. We know from decades of research that these harms have lasting physical and psychological consequences that often extend over decades.
We end with the same request made by the student trustees and by the theology faculty, that Sewanee demonstrates that our institution and our community respects the dignity of every human being and that all members of this community, including the honored ones among us, meet this same standard of behavior.
In community,
Faculty and Staff
Sherry Hamby
Research Professor of Psychology
C. Albert Bardi
Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology
Karen Yu
Professor of Psychology
Elizabeth Taylor
Visiting Instructor of Psychology
Terri Fisher
Visiting Professor of Psychology
Nicky Hamilton
Senior Associate Director, Civic Engagement
S. Katherine Nelson-Coffey
Assistant Professor of Psychology
G. Norman West
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Nicole Noffsinger-Frazier
Director, University Wellness Center
John Coffey
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Jordan Troisi
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Andrea Mansker
Professor of History and Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies
Martha Dinwiddie C’17
Research Intern, Life Paths
John Jackson
Assistant Director, Counseling and Psychological Service, UWC
Julian Wright C’17
Grant Coordinator, UWC
Karen Tharp
Director, University Health Service, UWC
Bennett Bridgers-Carlos
Therapist, Counseling & Psychological Services, UWC
Kelly Whitmer
Associate Professor of History
Julie Berebitsky
Jessie Ball duPont Professor; Professor of History and Women’s and Gender Studies
Benjamin Craft
Case Manager, UWC and Visiting Instructor of Psychology
Donna Murdock
Professor of International and Global Studies, Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies
Katie Van Cleave
Staff Clinician, Counseling & Psychological Services, UWC
Marya Ashby
Office Manager, UWC
Susan Ridyard
Professor of History
Robert Bachman
F.B. Williams Professor of Chemistry
Reinhard Zachau
Professor Emeritus of German
Paige Schneider
Assistant Professor of Politics and Women’s and Gender Studies
Manuel Chinchilla
Associate Professor of Spanish
Nicholas Roberts
Associate Professor of History
Jennifer Michael
Professor of English
Eric Thurman
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Harold J. Goldberg
David E. Underdown Professor of History
Jennifer Matthews
Professor of Theatre Arts
Kirk Zigler
Professor and Chair of Biology
Jeffrey P. Thompson
Chair. Art, Art History and Visual Studies
Husnain Fateh Ahmad
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Christopher Van de Ven
Instructor of Earth and Environmental Systems
Matthew David Mitchell
Assistant Professor of History
Mae Wallace
Professor of Anthropology and Education
Anne Duffee
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Julie Garai
Assistant Professor of Statistics
Shelley MacLaren
Curator, University Art Gallery & Visiting Asst Professor of Art, Art History and Visual Studies
Alec Hill C’16
Managing Editor, Sewanee Review
James Peters
Chair and Professor of Philosophy
Maryellen McCone
Therapist, Counseling & Psychological Services, UWC
Matt Schrader
Assistant Professor of Biology
Stephanie McCarter
Associate Professor of Classical Languages
Helen Bateman
Associate Professor of Psychology
C. Ken Smith
Assistant Dean and Professor of Integrated Program in the Environment
Clint Smith
Assistant Professor of Biology
Tam K. Parker
Professor of Religious Studies
Arturo Márquez-Gómez
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Amanda Sprott-Goldson
Research Help Librarian
Lisa Burner
Assistant Professor of Spanish
John C. Willis
Jessie Ball duPont Professor of History
Donald Rung
Professor of French
Christopher Conn
Professor of Philosophy
Lucia K. Dale
Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics
Virginia Craighill C’82
Professor of English
Sid Brown
Professor and Chair, Religious Studies
Mila Dragojevic
Asssociate Professor of Politics
Scott Wilson
Associate Dean, Office of Global Citizenship
Sarah Sherwood
Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Systems
Lauryl Tucker C’99
Associate Professor of English
Aaron Elrod
Assistant Professor of Economics
Amy Patterson
Professor of Politics
Elizabeth Hayes
Biographical Entry Specialist, Advancement Services
Sheri Kling
Associate University Registrar
Kevin Wilson
Associate Professor of English
Alison Miller
Assistant Professor of Art History
Richard Milby C’15
Admission Counselor, Office of Admission
Doug Drinen
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Annie Adams C’17
Editorial Assistant, The Sewanee Review
Julia Stubblebine
Manager of Stirling’s Coffeehouse, Sewanee Dining
Kim Bradford
Office Coordinator, University Wellness Center
Tanner Potts C’15
Alumnus, University Employee
Curtis Johnson C’14
Assistant Director of Admission, Staff Trustee
Dann Wigner
Instruction and Information Literacy Librarian, Library and Instructional Technology Services
Keri Watson C’12
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Kayla Deep C’15
Lay Chaplain, All Saints Chapel
Anna Palmer C’17
Student Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
Kathryn Oliver Mills
Professor of French
Brandon Moore
Associate Professor of Biology
Amber Smith C’15
Assistant Manager of Stirling’s Coffee House
Nicole Barenbaum
Professor Emerita of Psychology
Sarah Edmondson
Area Coordinator, Office of Residential Life
Eric Benjamin C’73
Director, Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs
Andrew Moser C’93
Teaching Professor of Philosophy
James Crawford
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Jody Lynn Allen
Visiting Assistant Professor of History
Elizabeth Wilson
Assistant Director, Career & Leadership Development
Benuel Post
Area Coordinator, Residential Life
Jessica Mecellem
Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics
Paul Wiley
Assistant Provost for Academic Services and Institutional Research
Spencer M. Hupp C’17
Editorial Assistant, The Sewanee Review
Daniel Holmes
Associate Professor of Classics
Thea Edwards
Research Assistant Professor of Biology
Kim Heitzenrater C’89
Director, Career & Leadership Development
Walt Evans C’17
Editorial Assistant, The Sewanee Review
Nancy Mann C’11
Senior Assistant Director, Office of Admission
Maria Watters C’93
Campus Visit Coordinator, Office of Admission
Katie McGhee
Assistant Professor of Biology
Matthew Irvin
Associate Professor of English
Mark Hopwood
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
David Landon
Bishop Frank A Juhan Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts
Alumni
Bonnie Wilkinson
Ty Wilkinson
Elizabeth Eidson C’17
Matthew Hagler C’13
James Dunaway C’17
Annie Shalun C’16
Zack Loehle C’17
Grace Gibson, C’17
Sarah Clark C’11
Adreyauna Lewers C’16
Cullen Mitchell C’16
Sara Balte C’17
Madeline Taylor C’16
Eleanor Ezell C’13
Elise Anderson C’16
Parker Van de Water C’17
Tyler Edell C’17
Ainsley Atkins C’17
Lindsay Selden C’15
Patrick Smith C’17
Rebecca Gorodetzky C’17
Sandra Graham-Bermann C’88
Lillie Howell C’17
Augustine Hosch C’12
Current Students
Melanie Gamboa C’19
Baird Davis C’18
Julian Cope C’18
Ali Egan C’18
Ivana Porashka C’21
Hagen Clements
Hunter Swenson C’18
William Burton-Edwards C’18
Tristan Carico C‘20
Fiona Charnow C’20
Elisabeth Vulpas C21
Anna Bradley C’18
Summer Menefee C’19
Sarah Cordell
Chris Hornsby
Anna Nayfa C’18
Mary Jane McCaghren C’19
JT Mitchell C’20
Luke Williamson C’21
Madison Freedy C’21
Susan Oliver C’19
Rebecca Rowan C’20
Virginia Klemens C’19
Benjamin Straessle C’18
Ford Peay C’19
Heather Eoff C’18
Dayla LaRocque C’19
Victoria Robinson C’21
Malcolm Brown C’18
Louis Messina C’18
Mallory Anne Sheehan C’19
Rachel Vincent C’18
Peyton Costa C’18
Jacqueline Culver C’18
Owen Zalesak C’21
and others
Corder of Cordence ~ Observer
Duke Duczer
Well done, Sewanee!
Windon Biesecker, T ’12
Thank you.. Our Bishop and the Trustees from the Diocese of Mississippi have written the Chancellor and V C asking that they reconsider this.. David Elliott C’61/T’69 Board of Trustees