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Fordham University will investigate one of its deans for comments he made during a training session for resident assistants in which he allegedly tried to politicize the issue of sexual assault.
Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at the Rose Hill campus and deputy Title IX coordinator, will be investigated jointly by Fordham’s Department of Public Safety and its Title IX coordinator, according to a university email sent to campus.
A statement by Jeffrey Gray, senior vice president for student affairs, to Inside Higher Ed said that the university does not comment on personnel matters, but confirmed the incident was being investigated and that the university would release its findings.
"The university’s leadership does not want to shift focus away from addressing a very important issue as the school year kicks off: we want to work with the community to create a culture of respect across campus, discuss and raise awareness of sexual assault, conduct fair reviews when allegations of sexual assault are reported, provide resources to students involved in the process, and receive feedback on our community’s needs. The well-being of our students, faculty and staff are important to us," the statement reads.
Neither the original email to campus, nor the university's statement, referenced the specifics of Rodgers’s presentation, but a resident assistant, Rowan Hornbeck, posted a lengthy account to Facebook.
Hornbeck said Rodgers showed two videos to the gathered RAs -- one meant to represent the liberal viewpoint of sexual assault, and another exemplifying the conservative counterargument. The right-leaning video was produced, Hornbeck said, by right-wing nonprofit PragerU and asserted that rape was not “a cultural norm” and that “there is simply no evidence of a national campus rape epidemic.”
Rodgers ignored Hornbeck when Hornbeck attempted to tell him that playing the video was insensitive for possible survivors of sexual assault in the room, Hornbeck said in the statement. Hornbeck also said that painting assault in a political light was inappropriate. She said several resident assistants left the room in tears.
Hornbeck said that Rodgers should not hold his position.
“Undermining the experiences of victims of sexual assault in the name of being ‘moderate’ or ‘fair’ is not justice and does not align with the Jesuit values of this university. And no one who undermines victims’ experiences and disregards the emotional well-being of students should hold any administrative position at this Jesuit institution,” Hornbeck said.
