Mercyhurst University to Remove All Honors, Tributes to Dr. William Garvey

Erie News Now
April 9, 2018

http://www.erienewsnow.com/story/37912254/mercyhurst-university-to-remove-all-honors-tributes-to-dr-william-garvey

Mercyhurst University will be removing all honors and tributes to former president Dr. William Garvey from its campuses, its president and chair of the board announced Monday.

Garvey was named by the Erie Catholic Diocese Friday as a former lay teacher and coach credibly accused of sexual abuse.

He spent 43 years at Mercyhurst University, including 25 years as the university's longest-serving president from 1980 to 2005.

Erie News Now called a Mercyhurst University spokesperson Monday morning, to inquire specifically about Garvey Park on Mercyhurst's main campus. By Monday afternoon, action is taken, with the signs on the park coming down.

Dr. Garvey resigned from the University in 2005, amid controversy, when six men accused him of sexually abusing them when they were minors in the 1960's and 70's. He was never criminally charged.

13 years ago, the faculty tried to get Garvey Park renamed in 2005, following Garvey's retirement, but that was a move the past administration rejected.

In 2015, Mercyhurst graduate, Ryan Kushner, wrote an opinion article for the school paper, the Merciad, calling on the university to rename Garvey Park, "I do feel like it was an open wound sitting with nobody addressing it or talking about it, or acknowledging the allegations as well,' Kushner said.

Erie News Now spoke with Kushner over the phone, he says while the move is long overdue, he's glad to see the administration take action, "Mercyhurst in particular has such a rich history that they love to talk about, that they love to publicize, and I think this isn't a good part of that," said Kushner. "And I think that's why they've struggled to reconcile with this. But I think it's a good move to start moving forward and reconciling with this and dealing with it," Kushner continued.

The University also intends to remove Garvey’s presidential photograph from the library as another first course of action.