Sexual Assualt at LSU & Title IX

[Gregory Matthews]

See:

http://atoday.org/news-feature-la-sierra-university-students-hold-presidents-feet-fire.html

See also:

http://www.unsilenced.us/#rise-up

[CoAspen]

Interesting comments at end of article...where were all the female voices? The article said the meeting was about sexual misconduct and yet the comments seemed to go elsewhere, even to politics.

[Gregory Matthews]

The fundamental nature of the subject, as it  is practiced is political.

As many have been taught:

1) Women want it.

2) Women seduce men.

3) Men are helpless against the seductive wiles of women.  [NOTE:  An engineer arrested for assaulting a 4 YO female once said to me:  "She was naked.  What did you expect me to do."]

NOTE:  I have had to say to people at times:  If you see a fully naked woman walking down the street toward you, It is your responsibility not to jump on her and you need to learn that.

 

I could go on.

 

 

 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Sexual assault on SDA school campuses sure isn't limited to LaSierra...  And one of the reasons it's not reported is due to the mentality by many SDAs that anything which sullies the reputation of the Adventist church needs to be "covered up", ignored, and/or the victim made to feel like it was all her fault.

VOE.

[Outta Here]

Regarding what "many have been taught"... Where does Adventist Education stand on Sex Ed these days?? Admittedly, I have no idea. I started homeschooling my kids before they were old enough. And as a Pathfinder leader, I tried to encourage the students to speak with their parents...not me!

[CoAspen]

Greg,

Not sure I am following what you said about the subject being political? Could you elaborate further on what your thinking is?

[Gregory Matthews]

1)  Title IX is the law and therefore politics is involved.

2)  Often what happens is governed by the law, and that makes it political.  This involves the whole idea as to how the culture/society views women and their role.

3)  Organizational response often is governed by consideration as to how the alligations will effect the organization.  This may be true on the local congregational level as well as higher levels of organization.

 

NOTE:  I am not suggesting that the SDA Church is doing nothing right about this.    Over the years I have seen the SDA Denomination make attempts to do it  right:

1)   Some years back I obtained a copy of the Walla Walla University policy on sexual offenders attending services and programs.  I considered it to be a  major development that was positive.

2)    Some years back I worked with a nuber of women who had charged SDA clergy with offences.  In my role I helped them to navigate the SDA denomination structure.

a)  If my memory is accurate, The Oregon Conference stands out in a positive way.  They offered one of the women whith whom I was working to chose a companion who could support her and for the two of them to fly to the Conference HQ at Conference expense to meet with a committee to discuss her charges.

'b)   The Rocky Mountain Conference also stood our in the manner in which they handled a case.

3)  I am pleased as to how local congregations in the U.S. are coming into line as to protecting vulnerable children.  [NOTE:  This is going slowly, which is not part of my pleasures.]

When I was taking graduate work in psychology, I was called in, at times, as a consultant to advise on cases where individual SDA members had home for help  in dealing with sexual abuse within the SDA Church.  Their experiences were information as to how people may be treated.  I am thinking right now of a case where the woman had first gone to a pastor.  He was totally out to lunch and totally failed to understand what was going on with her.

I have been a member of a SDA Congregation at the time sexual abuse was going on by a clergy person.  I became involved and with time the pastor was no longer a pastor.

I have been a member of a  SDA Congregation were sexual abuse has occurred in the past and I am well aware as to how people are still dealing with such, even years later.

 

All of the above and more are in my experience which lies behind my comments on the subject.

 

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

As many of you know, Bonnie has experienced what happens in a family when there is clergy abuse of congregational members.  If you like reading legal documents, those available under the name of the Odenthal case make fascinating reading.  It was a case that went back and forth between the District court, the  Court of Appeals and finally the State Supreme Court.  The end was a financial settlement without actually going to trial.   That process took several years.

I understand the meaning of "precedence."  On that basis, some will disagree with what I say next.  Nevertheless it is my  opinion that the Odenthal case finally got through to the denomination that the actions of SDA clergy could lead to liability and consequences for SDA organizations.  On that basis, I will suggest that this case  is one of the reasons for the SDA denomination attempting to be proactive in protecting vulnerable people.  Has the denomination reached perfection, yet?  No.  But, it is a start.

Again, speaking personally:  I believe that sexual abuse by clergy, of congregational members should be defined in law as statuary rape and those who engage in such should be prosecuted.  In addition, within the context that I have stated in this paragraph, I believe that such clergy should normally be removed, permanently, from pastoral position.  In my experience, I have not known of a case that I would believe qualified for an exception.

 

 

 

 

 

[CoAspen]

Title IX states that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Sexual abuse and sexual discrimination in education or activity are two different issues in my mind. 

Which is the topic at hand?

Are we blaming the law for abuse, saying the law makes it difficult to prosecute, or.......? Still failing to see a connection between the two. Women were/have been abused since the beginning of time. I thought the topic/meeting was about sexual abuse not discrimination. Maybe I missed something, it's possible!

[Gregory Matthews]

If you go to the URL that I provided you will understand why Title IX was considered to be a part of the issues at LSU.  Of course, it is not a part of some of what has been discussed later. 

[Gregory Matthews]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/may-web-only/missionary-donn-ketcham-abuse-bangladesh-mks-abwe-report.html?utm_source=ctweekly-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=16245031&utm_content=436521657&utm_campaign=email

The above URL contains an interesting case study  of a serial abuser, how the denomination (not SDA) responded, what went wrong and what went right.

 

[Aliensanctuary]

Sounds like missionary Ketchum was a practicing sexaholic, while the good-ole-boys club winked at his numerous affairs and molestations. 

[CoAspen]

Thanks Greg, I had only read the .atoday article and my impression from it was that the meeting was about sexual misconduct and how it was being handled. It seems the meeting was about two issues. That was why I saw no connection between Title IX and sexual misconduct.