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Call for the Immediate Resignation or Removal of Boston College President Fr. Leahy

The recent news of Fr. William Leahy’s awareness of abuse by a fellow Jesuit and Boston College employee only to ignore the allegations and allow the priest to continue his abuse at BC and elsewhere is horrifying.^[1] On top of it is the hypocrisy of Leahy speaking out against the sexual abuse scandal that broke in Boston in 2002, creating the Church in the 21st Century Center in response and leading to BC’s acquisition of its now Brighton campus from the Archdiocese of Boston.^[2] 

We are reminded of a number of other failures to respond to sexual abuse by Boston College such as the case of Robert Kraft - he still sits on CSOM’s Board of Governors and his company, Team Ops, is used by BC Athletics - after groups like REACT called for his removal.^[3]

These are not cases of “cancel culture” - they are about justice and being a real Jesuit university that betters the world, not harbors people like Kraft and Leahy. Anyone who causes or allows harm to students has no place at Boston College.

Further, over the course of years, and particularly in a recent surge, students have felt betrayed by Fr. Leahy and Boston College on a number of issues. COVID-19 cases and precautions as well as hate crimes are placed as an obligation on students when serious actions could and should be taken by BC administrators to prevent them. Many faculty and administrators have reported a culture of fear and silence coming from the top along with an earth-stopping level of micromanagement. Many issues addressed by other universities have not been addressed by BC and Fr. Leahy is always quietly pointed to as the main barrier.

We call for the immediate resignation of Fr. Leahy and, if he does not do so by Friday May 7, his removal from his position by the Board of Trustees and his Jesuit Superior.

While an interim president may need to be named, we further call for a concrete and clear search process for a permanent successor that not only includes student input, but voting student representation including through 2 permanent voting student trustees as well as a faculty one.

There is significant value to being a Jesuit school, but the search committee must consider the fact that many of our Jesuit peers now have lay presidents. Our Jesuit character will remain and perhaps even be enhanced by a lay president, especially a woman and/or person of color.

Student and faculty voices have not only been ignored, but actively suppressed under Fr. Leahy’s tenure and it is now clear that this is a pattern. A group of stakeholders should never get to a point that they have to file a complaint with the Attorney General compelling a Catholic university to take an action the Pope has required (divesting from fossil fuels) while that same university simultaneously uses the Catholic faith to deny LGBTQ+ rights even as the same Pope has said “it doesn’t matter that you are gay. God made you that way and he loves you the way you are.”^[4] [5] We are at a point where students felt the need to unionize to feel heard and earn what they deserve.

The cognitive dissonance ends today. The hypocrisy ends today. The complicity and hate and injustice and silence end today.  We stand united for real change. As the future, we are determined to shape it to include all of us.

Current Boston College Student Resources:

Lean On Me (peer support) - text 617-553-6655

University Counseling Services - 617-552-3310

General Public Resources:

National Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ focus) - 1-866-488-7386

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) - 800.656.HOPE (4673)

How to make a report about abuse at Boston College:

To the Archdiocese of Boston

BC Ethics Hotline and Reporting Form

To state or local police

TitleIXCoordinator@bc.edu

USCCB

Updates

Fr. Leahy has issued a statement in response to the initial article in The Heights. His response further demonstrates that he was aware of misconduct by Fr. Dziak and took no real action in response. He may not have been Dziak’s Jesuit Superior, but he was his employer and part of the same religious order. He saw where Dziak was re-assigned and received further reports after that. He could have said or done something when he saw no action was taken by the Jesuits. He chose not to.

Today, he attacked student journalists for doing their jobs. We thank them for their reporting and stand by our calls for Fr. Leahy to resign or be removed.

He gave no acknowledgement of the victims nor provided resources. He attempted to abdicate any and all responsibility. The statement was not emailed to the BC community, posted on BC’s website, nor its social media. It was another attempt to brush aside a major concern. We will not let that happen again.