Admissions tour gags have a cherished legacy at Wesleyan; they’ve been streaked; there’s a “strip to your undies” stunt in the main library that has the makings of an annual tradition. People are always teasing their friends and fellow classmates whose job it is to walk and talk backwards (sometimes wearing heels.) But, they take an ominous turn when they are used, as they were at this past weekend’s Open House, to score political points against the school administration.
Some background:
Apparently, an assistant dean gained his position by lying. He failed to disclose the fact that he had been fired from his last job at a Vermont prep school and even went so far as to obtain favorable recommendations from members of the staff at that institution. All of that happened ten years ago and the administrator’s past record of sexual indiscretions remained undetected until over the summer when The Boston Globe contacted Wesleyan with damaging information, including the existence of a Title IX suit against the man in question.
All of this was embarrassing enough and, if left to its own devices, would probably have led to an internal review of Wesleyan’s vetting processes (in fact, I’m sure it has.) As it was, the man was promptly fired, although the reason for it was left for the Boston Globe to disclose three months later. In the meantime, an outside law firm was hired to examine the disciplinary proceedings handled by the former dean to make sure there had been no procedural errors during his tenure. They limited themselves to the last two years because that was when a brand-new sexual assault policy was introduced.
The players:
The Left at Wesleyan is in a particularly difficult position. Many of them have been recruited on the basis of their records of passionate involvement in their high schools and communities, often around issues of social justice. However, once arriving on campus, they find themselves in the unaccustomed position of being surrounded by people who sympathize with just about everything they stand for. Wesleyan is a virtual island of progressivism in central Connecticut, a part of New England noted for fading blue collar jobs, white working class dissatisfaction, and deep suspicion of elites. Sound familiar?
There have been some highly successful attempts at grappling with issues off-campus, including food inequality, prison education (and, for those whose memories go back long enough - health care delivery.) But, Middletown represents a very small stage and a not always hospitable one for direct action. In fact, the last time Wesleyan students, faculty and administrators came together to protest with Middletown as the backdrop, the town fathers handed them a bill for $75,000, supposedly the cost of providing police protection during the demonstration.
So, when it comes to direct action, The Left is pretty much limited to picking the lowest possible hanging fruit: hapless administrators who have labored their entire adult lives in order to keep the doors open for students just like them.
The issues:
Here’s where it gets confusing. They are demanding that the president of the college and a senior supervisory dean resign. Why? Not because of the initial hiring/vetting process. Everyone seems to agree that when someone lies in order to gain employment, it’s the liar who is at fault. Rather, the issue seems to be as to the timing of the announcement - not the initial announcement of the firing, mind you. But, of the reasons for which the firing occurred. That came several months later.
Apparently, learning the true reasons for the firing - while reading The Boston Globe - acted as a “trigger” for some, summoning up repugnant memories on the part of survivors of the sexual assault proceedings that were handled by the dean in question. I have no doubt that they are sincere in this. I would have been upset, too. Any of us would. The question is whether we would have been any less upset - or, triggered - three months earlier when the firing first took place? That’s a much tougher argument to make, IMO.
In the meantime, there is another Open House scheduled for November 11th. Families should not be surprised if there are more leaflets handed out or thrust at them, more bullhorns competing with what the tour guide is saying and more unexpected route changes. I very much doubt the president will have resigned, so it will be interesting to see how the next info session will be handled.
Here’s a summary of the October Open House that appeared in Wesleying, probably one of the best small college blogs in the country:
http://wesleying.org/2016/10/11/prefrosh-open-house-a-day-of-student-protest/