Sexual misconduct allegations raise concerns at Holy Cross
Former students at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester say the school has not adequately responded to allegations of sexual misconduct against two professors.
In one case, multiple sources from inside Holy Cross have confirmed to Worcester Magazine the 2018 demotion of former Holy Cross Dean Christopher A. Dustin amid sexual misconduct allegations brought forward by a recent alumna. Without detailing the circumstances, the school recently announced Dustin will be on leave during the spring 2019 semester.
In a separate instance in August 2018, five former recipients of the College’s Organ Scholarship came forward with serious allegations against former organ professor James David Christie.
Multiple sources from within Holy Cross indicate the cases of Dustin and Christie are emblematic of a much larger problem.
‘HEARTBREAKING WAY TO LEAVE’
In the case of Dustin, a 2017 Holy Cross graduate speaking on the condition of anonymity said complications arose in 2015 when she was a junior and was invited to take Dustin’s seminar, which she said is typically reserved for sophomores. Soon thereafter, according to the former student, she was handpicked by Dustin for a work-study position in his department despite the fact she was not on the list of students approved for work-study.
As a senior in fall 2016, the former student said she felt pressured to write her Senior Honors Thesis under Dustin’s mentorship. What followed, she said, included romantic advances and explicit sexually-charged comments, which eventually gave way to intimidating behavior and an abuse of power regarding her thesis grade in spring 2017.
“At first, Professor Dustin would compliment me all the time,” the former student said. “He did a good job at making me feel special. In hindsight, I know this was psychological grooming. But over time, this evolved into explicit romantic advances, many of which were over email. He repeatedly suggested we go on ‘dates’ or get drinks together. He bought me gifts, two of which included a bouquet of pink flowers [given to her on the day of a school-sponsored dinner] and an item which had the message ‘I love you’ inscribed on it.”
Dustin’s overtures turned more serious in nature, the former student said.
“As time went on,” she said, “his language became more sexually charged. He told me I was ‘hot’ and said that he would ‘love to see’ my body. He told me he didn’t want to ‘share me’ with anyone else and to stay away from certain other people. Once I began to resist his behavior more clearly, he reacted with anger and hostility, at one point calling me a ‘real bitch’ and making other derogatory remarks. All the while, we never talked about my thesis. The year culminated in the total waste of an academic opportunity and a humiliating thesis presentation. It was a heartbreaking way to leave Holy Cross.”
According to the former student, in March 2017, two months before her graduation, the professor told her he was going to be appointed dean of the faculty. The following month, in April, she said she reported his behavior to Holy Cross’s Title IX Office. In June that year, she said a member of the Title IX Office asked her if she had any interest in pursuing an informal resolution. She said she declined.
According to the former student, the formal investigation, including an appeal on behalf of procedural error, stretched out over 20 months, during which time the professor continued to work with female students. In addition, according to multiple sources, he was permitted to maintain his role as dean, advise theses and teach courses for the entire period during which the initial investigation was underway.
Following the formal investigation, according to documents provided to Worcester Magazine, the professor’s interaction with female students was limited by the school. He was stripped of his title as dean and was no longer permitted to conduct private, one-on-one meetings or unsupervised communications with female students or junior employees, including e-mail. Still, he continued to teach on campus.
Most recently, Dustin is listed as having taken a leave of absence. Dustin did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story. A spokesperson for Holy Cross would not elaborate on Dustin’s status, saying the school does not comment on matters of employment.
ORGAN SCHOLARS
The school is also dealing with the fallout of allegations detailed in an August story in The Boston Globe by five Holy Cross Organ Scholars concerning Christie. The five had informed the College that Christie was “an imminent danger” to students on campus.
According to The Globe, Christie was immediately placed on administrative leave and submitted a letter of resignation. The article reported Christie had been at liberty to hand select and groom organ scholars at Holy Cross during which time he exhibited a consistent pattern of sexual harassment.
“Former students also described a sexually charged environment that included lewd comments, large amounts of alcohol, and unwanted touching over a period between 1994 and 2017,” The Globe reported.
According to the five Organ Scholars, Holy Cross recently extended an offer of three counseling sessions to only one member of the group in response to their request of financial repairs for therapy. In a statement issued to Worcester Magazine, the Five Organ Scholars wrote, “This offer is an insult to that person and to all survivors, and demonstrates a shocking lack of concern and care for the other Organ Scholars suffering as a result of Holy Cross’s negligence.”
‘LEGAL RIGHT TO SAFETY’
Members of the student body grew increasingly vocal regarding sexual misconduct on campus during the fall semester last year. The school shut down classes and activities for several hours on a Friday afternoon in November in the wake of an alleged bias-related assault on campus and other concerns.
In early December, a group identifying themselves as sexual assault survivors at Holy Cross hand delivered a list of demands to the office of president Rev. Philip L. Boroughs. The group expressed particular concern about allegations made against two unidentified faculty members. In their letter, they sought to uncover the college’s threshold for tolerating misconduct among faculty members with “unfettered access to students.”
In a statement to Worcester Magazine regarding the letter, Holy Cross said, “... Fr. Boroughs and members of his executive team have responded to say that they take these issues seriously and are committed to addressing them. We will be reviewing the letter carefully and look forward to working with members of the community on this issues.”
The survivors who appeared at Boroughs’ door the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 4 bore a document stating, “We will not settle for a superficial, short-changed response. We commit to defending our legal right to safety and the necessary reallocation of the college’s resources to ensure this safety.”
The group represents an online community called Sexual Assault on the Hill, where accounts of alleged rape and sexual assaults are shared anonymously in the name of solidarity for survivors at Holy Cross.
A spokesperson from the Sexual Assault on the Hill account reached out to Worcester Magazine Dec. 2, saying, “Law protects students at educational institutions to learn in a safe environment, free from unlawful discrimination and violence. The reality is, there is no transparency in Title IX at Holy Cross. Moreover, even if individuals within Title IX at HC hold the best intentions, they must adjudicate crimes while also maintaining the public relations of our institution.
“Thus, it is clear that their decisions are compromised and there are severe conflicts of interest that could lead to the compromise of their decisions. We believe this is especially true in the case of professors.”
According to Holy Cross, Boroughs is assembling a team to create a Sexual Respect and Conduct plan by March 31, which will incorporate feedback from community members and include concrete action steps. Boroughs’ executive team has pledged to improve policies and processes related to Title IX.
“The College is in the process of hiring a full-time dedicated Title IX and Non-Discrimination Investigator,” the school said.