Furor mounts at Maryland Catholic college; president reportedly disparaged role of faith
February 12, 2016
A tense dispute at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland has escalated still further, with reports that the school's embattled president, Simon Newman, has made disparaging remarks about the role of the Catholic faith in campus life.
Newman-- who is under fire for dismissing tenured faculty members-- reportedly told one faculty member that the school's religious identity should not be emphasized because "Catholic doesn't sell." Another university source said that Newman had complained about the presence of "too many bleeding crucifixes" in the office. Yet another complaint was that the president described some students as "Catholic jihadis."
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Further information:
- More allegations emerge as Mount St. Mary's controversy boils (CNA)
- Firing of tenured faculty prompts uproar at Maryland Catholic college (CWN, 2/10)
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Posted by: hartwood01 -
Feb. 13, 2016 12:27 PM ET USA
Scary guy! His beliefs in Catholicism seem at odds with his position as president.
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Posted by: rjbennett1294 -
Feb. 13, 2016 6:37 AM ET USA
Tenured faculty members and others have been dismissed recently at Mount St. Mary's University. Could it be that instead of these individuals, it is Simon Newman who should be dismissed?
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Posted by: FredC -
Feb. 12, 2016 9:27 PM ET USA
We need to ascertain whether the accusations are justified. The complaints seem to be coming from faculty members. Faculty members have a vested interest in tenure.
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Posted by: ElizabethD -
Feb. 12, 2016 3:51 PM ET USA
Some of our diocese's seminarians are at Mount St Mary's Seminary. I can imagine how dismayed some bishops are to hear this kind of thing from the leadership of MSM University.
