By Jake Shore
Catholic academics and clergy from colleges across the United States wrote a public letter to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, last week in an attempt to reverse the decision against Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Fordham Lincoln Center.
Co-authored by 27 different academics and clergy from Catholic colleges, the letters come from schools such as Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, Xavier University, Marquette University, Loyola University and Mount St. Mary’s University.
Lincoln Center Dean of Students Keith Eldredge’s decision to deny SJP club status in January has drawn some criticism from Fordham students and faculty. Eli McCarthy, a justice and peace studies professor from Georgetown, organized the letter to Fordham. In an email interview with The Fordham Ram, he said clubs like SJP are important to the fabric of Catholic colleges and universities.
“The club [would provide] a structured way for all students, faculty, staff and the broader community to learn about issues of basic human dignity and rights, as well as to be inspired toward ways to transform injustice, even if there is disagreement along the way,” said McCarthy. “Catholic colleges should be a place where these issues are front and center, not marginalized and definitely not excluded.”
The letter argues the decision against the SJP is incongruent with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, which came out in favor of relief for Palestinians, and with general Catholic social teaching.
Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ’17, faced disciplinary action for organizing a protest in response to Eldredge’s decision against the club. She has been a leading figure in the advocation for the creation of an SJP chapter at Fordham. She said she hopes Fordham administrators will reconsider their decision, based on their Catholic faith.
“My deep thanks to the Catholic priests and academics who wrote to Father McShane last week. I’m happy to hear that other Catholics are calling upon the Fordham administration to grant club status to SJP and to end the unjust censorship of students,” said Lurie in an email interview. “Perhaps Father McShane and other Fordham administrators like Dean Eldredge will recommit to their faith and do what is right.”
Christopher Rodgers, dean of student life at Rose Hill, said “A wide variety of feedback has been received on this decision, from those applauding it on principle to those taking the opposite view. It has been reassuring to receive inquiries from those seeking to better understand our careful discernment process.”
“We are glad to see our students and our community engaged in spirited and civil discussion,” said Rodgers.”
Eldredge reversed USG at Lincoln Cetner’s original vote that approved SJP as a club.
Jim • Apr 10, 2017 at 5:19 pm
This is a good summary and opinion on Fordham’s free speech limitations http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-hypocrisy-behind-fordham-universitys-ban-of-justice_us_5889926ce4b01ea697898953 .
Morris Levy • Apr 9, 2017 at 10:09 pm
This was brought to my attention. Holocaust survivors should be appalled, Gaza is the worlds largest concentration camp. Fordham’s values are pocketbook and seemingly highly transient, it does not want to offend potential donors from the other NYC faith. Fordham has been courting Eugene Shvidler who is an alumni and a minor donor, that said he is a billionaire and Fordham wants his money. In Fordham’s mind they gain nothing from allowing this club to be active on campus, only freedom of expression and that is something that is always highly selective at Fordham. Let’s just talk about the Jesuits and how great they are is the dominant theme, this interferes with this and does not translate coherently into Fordham’s social justice mantra, the latter is highly selective and discounts one of the worlds largest injustices among others.
Oprah Would Laugh • Apr 7, 2017 at 4:26 pm
Fordham is just a narrative that when you scratch the surface one sees inside the game. It just wants to be loved by people that will give it money! Fordham has a dedicated ”new” strategy to create Jewish programs that they can then cross sell and fund raise within the NYC Jewish community. Talk of Palestinian justice gets in the way and Fordham’s social justice schtick is phoney anyway. Fordham is a story as opposed to a functioning university, it will do anything, use any tactic, silence any critic to maintain that happy aren’t we great double standard narrative.
Eli McCarthy • Apr 5, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Thanks Jake. Here is the letter that was sent: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/548748b1e4b083fc03ebf70e/t/58dadcd6197aeaaf64ed3de0/1490738391242/Catholic+Letter+to+Fordham+Final+3-28-17.pdf
naw • Apr 5, 2017 at 10:59 am
“Christopher Rodgers, dean of student life at Rose Hill, said ‘A wide variety of feedback has been received on this decision, from those applauding it on principle to those taking the opposite view.'” ohhh my god. literally hundreds of students, faculty, alumni, professors at other universities, Jesuits, free speech advocates, human rights activists, etc. have openly condemned Eldredge’s decision to veto the club. Fordham admin is ridiculous trying to come out with these statements as if people mostly supported their decision. The people who supported the decision to veto SJP are people who support settler colonialism, illegal occupation, and the deliberate ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Even the African National Congress of South Africa recognizes the situation in Palestine as apartheid and upholds the BDS movement–not solely out of solidarity with Palestinians but even because of directly anti-African violence by Israelis (state-sponsored attacks and deportations). Of course former NYPD Rodgers stands by repression of student organizing against state militarism and racism. He doesn’t get to reimagine this into some diplomatic classroom academic debate with two sides and free dissent. And he especially doesn’t get to claim he’s the mouthpiece for the Catholic church and that opposing apartheid goes against Jesuit values.