The following letter to the editor appeared in the 9/9/05 edition of The Erie Daily Times-News. You can access it and the accompanying article ("Mistakes were made: Mercyhurst offers explanation of how it handled Garvey probe") via my "goerie" link; keyword: "WILLIAM P. GARVEY". It should be noted that, according to The Times, this statement was not only approved by the Mercyhurst Board of Trustees, it also has the approval of interim president Dr. Michael McQuillen, and Sister Bernadette Bell who is the president of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy, Erie region. With that said, I present the letter:
"The Mercyhurst College Board of Trustees, first and foremost, wishes to make clear our full understanding of the extremely serious nature of the allegations made against William P. Garvey. We are called by the virtue of this institution - mercy - to sympathize deeply with all victims of abuse. The accusations leveled against Dr. Garvey involved actions wholly incompatible with the values we and the college stand for.
Second, we sincerely regret that at times our commitment to those values was not publicly visible and acknowledge that mistakes were made. None of us had ever been through anything like this, and contrary to the surface appearances, this was not a simple, clear-cut situation, especially without the perspective of hindsight.
We had to try to balance competing ethical obligations, compounded by a lack of solid evidence and the fervent denial of the allegations by a respected community leader; to adhere to legal requirements and due process concerns that foreclosed certain options; to respect personal relationships that stretched back decades, and always to oversee and maintain our fiduciary responsibilities to the college. While we understand how others in both the Mercyhurst and broader communities might disagree with the path we have traveled, we hope no one has reason to question our sincerest desire and effort, as a corporate body, to seek the good and right path.
Finally, we wish to clarify the issues that have arisen with respect to Dr. Garvey's position with Mercyhurst College. On Dec. 16, 2004, when he announced his decision to step down as president, we did terminate the investigation into his fitness to serve. Mercyhurst is indeed committed to truth, compassion and individual integrity, but we are not an investigative organization. That is the province of the civil and criminal justice system, not a college community.
On Feb. 23, 2005, Dr. Garvey immediately began a terminal sabbatical and we began negotiations to complete the remaining financial obligations of the college to Dr. Garvey under his existing contract through June 2007 and years of deferred compensation. The college expects to conclude a final agreement within 60 days.
In order to continue its mission of providing a high quality education, the Mercyhurst College Board of Trustees must now turn its full attention to hiring a president. In order for this effort to be successful, we need the wholehearted support of the entire Mercyhurst community. We truly hope that with these explanations and clarifications the Erie community will support our efforts to do so."
I find this statement so woefully inadequate. While sympathizing with "all victims of abuse" there is still no "mercy" for the specific abuse suffered by victims at the hands of Mercyhurst's own college president. Garvey should be terminated unconditionally and immediately. His contract must contain some sort of a morals clause and it should be employed to sever any interaction he has with Mercyhurst. Garvey should be banned from campus and any future school association.
I am still waiting for the "truth, compassion, and... integrity" alluded to by those who put their names to this statement. Release the results of the Palmisano investigation. Better yet, release ex-judge Palmisano to talk and answer questions about his findings.
This letter just rings hollow. It is hard to look forward with so much carnage unresolved behind. It's like trying to build a castle on a garbage heap. It will always stink.
predafile@hotmail.com
