STEUBENVILLE (OH)
National Catholic Reporter
October 9, 2018
By Jenn Morson
Franciscan University of Steubenville, nestled in the hills of northeast Ohio, is an institution with a reputation for traditional Catholic piety. It is a place where charismatic prayer is frequently invoked, the Rosary recited, and course descriptions across all subject areas commit to what the school describes as dynamic Catholic orthodoxy.
This year, the school’s administration has made a public commitment to stop sexual violence and harassment on campus.
At the opening of the school year Mass in August, Franciscan Fr. Sean Sheridan, university president, pledged a transparent and vigorous approach. In a letter to alumni and students, he encouraged victims to come forward and acknowledged the obligation of the university to investigate all claims. A law firm, Husch Blackwell LLP, was hired by the school to review the university’s records of past abuse investigations. A report is due by January, with Sheridan stating it will be shared with the university’s board of trustees and, possibly, the wider public.
But some Franciscan students need convincing.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.