The administration of Millsaps College issued the following email to its faculty after some rather vulgar graffiti painted by students in a campus building last year came to light earlier this week.
Dear Faculty and Staff:
I write to express my deep concern about a serious incident of vandalism that occurred on the Millsaps College campus in April 2017. The incident itself and the more recent revelations and reactions to that incident that have caused genuine hurt within the Millsaps community and beyond.
At the end of the spring semester in 2017, a small group of students defaced several rooms in the Christian Center, a building that was being vacated at the time in anticipation of the start of major renovations during the summer of 2017. Much of the graffiti was vulgar, demeaning toward specific individuals, and contrary to the values of the institution. The incident was compounded by the implicit approval of a few faculty members who, while not directly participating in the vulgar vandalism, were present during some of the activity and joined in a group photograph in one of the defaced areas. Disciplinary processes were initiated against the students and faculty involved. While the outcome of the disciplinary processes are confidential, members of the administration and faculty responsible for those processes believed that appropriate actions were taken at the time.
In the past few days, additional information has come to light, including photographs that were, I believe, not known to those conducting the investigations last spring. In addition to identifying individuals involved, the photographs reveal that the graffiti on the walls of the Christian Center expanded and became more vulgar and demeaning over the course of several days. Some of the individuals in the early photographs were, I’m told, not involved or aware of the progressively shameful words and depictions painted on the walls of the building.
As a result of this new information, I have asked both the provost and the dean of students to review the incident through appropriate processes and advise me by the end of next week on a way forward.
This situation is enormously disappointing and disheartening to me—and to many, many others. These actions in the Christian Center run counter to our core values and have the potential to compromise the incredibly positive strides the College is making on countless fronts. They also undermine one of the major goals of our strategic plan—“Enhance our relationship with the United Methodist Church and promote our heritage of social justice, freedom of thought, and reflection on the most important questions in life”—and damage the extraordinary new initiatives of our Chaplaincy.
I want to assure everyone who is part of the Millsaps family – from prospective students who are considering enrolling at the College to alumni who call Millsaps their alma mater – that we are taking this matter very seriously and working to ensure that Millsaps addresses incidents that violate our policies and norms and that holds individuals accountable for their actions. We will also redouble our efforts to ensure that the institution lives up to its mission, core values, and vision for the future.
I am sorry about this incident; I apologize to all who have been offended by the actions of a few; and I hope that lessons learned from this matter will help us build a stronger community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Millsaps College.
Rob Pearigen
President
20 February 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Millsaps responds
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56 comments:
Juvenile transparent response.
Right. As if any parent believes Millsaps will take this seriously. The next quote will be "that's confidential, we can't disclose what action we took". The WSJ just reported that quite a few smaller colleges are sucking wind. No telling how many prospects they'll lose. MIllsaps better be transparent about this or you can add them to the list of faltering colleges.
Wait until Drudge gets a hold of this. Then we'll really see the fertilizer hit the oscillator.
blah. blah. blah. now that people know and might stop donating..its hurtful and shameful...
"Damn! You Mu's sure can party!"
So it took one year and national media exposure to produce a response?
I have no association with the school and don't know anybody who has. That said, I think the 'letter' was complete and to the point, addressed all issues and concerns and restated why the actions of a few were unacceptable.
There's nothing unusual about confidential personnel actions. Those of you who were wanting to see heads tossed into the alligator pond will have to move on to another thread.
I went to Millsaps as did 2 other lawyer friends of mine. I stopped giving that liberal paradise money 4 years ago. Hell... tuition there is north of 50k now days. I'm also not sending my son there. I was the 4th guy in my family to graduate from Millsaps.
Jackson is lost.....!
"Why they call you Booger" ????????????
(picking nose).."I don't know"
Wonder "joints" must have caused this............
Stalin said the way to spread communism was through the educational system, not by war. Guess he knew what he was saying.
May not have to wait. Oscillator is already turned on.
In the original photos - the 2nd one right above the straw - does that say Hail Satan? Just curious.
He spelled "implicit" incorrectly. The word is "explicit", as in "When the Religious Studies professors posed with smiles for a group photo with the students in from of the offensive graffiti, they were showing their EXPLICIT support for that behavior."
This is unprofessional conduct, which is not protected by tenure. The powers-that-be failed to show courage and leadership in taking this trash to the curb, and now the smell has gone off-campus.
"Freedom of thought'?!
Oh please...
Pro-life, traditional marriage, traditional views of sexual mores, are castigated and are anything but tolerated.
There is an old quote,"I may not agree with what you say but I will fight to the death your right to say it." I wonder when was the last time, if ever, that quote has been heard in a classroom at Millsaps.
@ 9:16
Like Berkeley... only the left has freedom of speech and all other opinions or point of views are hate speech
We are possibly getting closer and closer to the day that Tom Head becomes a JPS parent and Bowley becomes a JPS teacher. I can't wait (assuming they don't end up at APAC or Magnet schools).
Dee Ray, I don't want heads to roll or anybody to get fired. It was impressive that they were so proud of this. The letter was syrupy and condescending. It was not genuine but nobody at Millsaps owes me anything. Most people working there could not survive in the private business world. The ones that work there need that artificial, non producing business to make it.
This letter is garbage.
This person writes; "promote our heritage of social justice".
Huh? A heritage of Cultural Marxism?
I know plenty of Methodists and they are not communists, Moaists, nor Marxists. Perhaps this institution has lost its way, at the very least.
At its worst, that place is no longer a Christian institution, but merely a dead scholarly entity with a leftist administration parading its hollowed carcas around to make money.
When I first saw these photos, I swear I thought it was the intern break room at the JFP.
Then I saw the word "Millsaps" . . . oh well . . . one in the same.
Well, Dee, I did want heads to roll. If this were about Obama, termination would have happened immediately,
Implicit and Explicit can often be used interchangeably, depending on whether you're the messenger or the listener and how you view the situation. Your frame of reference and your bias will be the tie-breaker.
Examples:
Based on what I'm seeing, his behavior seemed explicit and signaled his support.
Although he made no comment, I sense implicit approval simply by his presence alone.
When he wore the Stalin T-Shirt and waved the manifesto in my face, that was pretty damned explicit.
He left the room when he realized there was a camera pointed at him; however, saying nothing sent an implicit message, at least to me.
Under the circumstances I though this was a proper response. It seems a lot of commenters here want heads to roll based upon a few photos. Those photos are indeed disturbing, but not so disturbing that they should merit an obviation of due process.
The president has asked his staff to review the handling of last year's response. I'll allow the Millsaps administration to handle this. I'm satisfied that they at least appreciate the gravity of the situation.
What is the enroll trend of Millsaps over the last 20 years??
Many years ago, while a student at Belhaven COLLEGE, we lived in an apartment off North Jefferson. One day we go outside and see a stranded U-Haul with a dead battery. We offer to help and met the new move-in, who turned out to be a new religion professor at Milsaps. He had two college students helping him unload and move in. As we talked and got to know each other, he quickly explained that he was an Atheist. To this day, I've always shaken my head at a Christian college such as Milsaps knowingly hiring an Atheist professor to teach religion classes to young minds. This would have been around 1989-90. So I can only imagine how much further they have drifted since then.
"Seven years of college down the drain."
Hell of an investigation first time around. Oh, we didn't know how bad it was. . .
How about a public apology to the College from those involved?
$50,000 so your marginal athlete can say he played college sports. or $50,000 so your daughter won't be ostracized for not shaving her legs and pits.
not my place to judge where other parents invest their money.
Several years ago the spouse of a friend was a conservative who was on the teaching staff. His last straw was when he got an email from admin encouraging the attendance to a homoerotic art exhibit on campus.
Anyone who writes on a wall without the intent of decorating it artfully is a childish vandal.
Those who resort to name calling and insult are even more immature.
Equally childish are those who whine about how those who hold a different view on social issues are denying you the freedom of your opinion or beliefs when you are wanting to deny them the same.
Such behavior indicates that you stopped maturing emotionally or intellectually. You got stuck in your development as a human.
When you engage in such behaviors, you mark yourself as an immature person who cannot play well with others.
You can't imagine that tit for tat will result in anything other that escalation. You can't see that your actions and goals are identical to the behavior you say you despise.
Neither conservativism nor liberalism nor socialism nor communism nor fascism has proven to be a perfect approach to problem solving. There is no example in history of a political philosophy that has solved every societal problem. An action by government either works with the least negative outcomes or it doesn't.
Nor can you ever force your religious beliefs on those who sincerely hold a different belief especially when you are doing that among those who believe in the same One God. Your battle is over what that One God sees as pleasing.
What happens instead is those who are determined to force their views on others with persecution and threat and fear, eventually turn to killing others.
So those of you who are too childish to find ways to persuade through example, kindness and words and action appropriate discipline create hate and conflict.
8:07 is the most pitiful. He sees everything as an opportunity to criticize Jackson. He so needs to find simple causes for complex problems. Poor thing.
I went to several colleges/universities including a degree from Millsaps. I can honestly say that i do not remember receiving any request for alumni dues, or contributions to the school. I don't say this as criticism, just as maybe some helpful advice for fund raising.
Cut 8:07 some slack. He's the same guy who, depending on story location, also posts, "Madison is lost", "Rankin has gone to the dogs", "I'm moving to Grenada", Ridgeland has tanked".
He's not real bright and doesn't have much to do. Every blog needs one. I think he lives in Bolton and sells eggs out on Old 80.
"Those who resort to name calling and insult are even more immature."
"8:07 is the most pitiful...Poor thing."
To the wanabe "philosopher" at 10:31:
Bullshit!
Millsaps has now created there own University of Missouri like problem. The Board better step in and fire the President and all involved, remove any students involved and generally clean house. If not, their customer base (parents with money) will dry up. Purely a business decision if they want to stay in business.
Also the same person 11:09 who repeatedly claims to be a Republican ready to vote for Hood.
They have less than 1000 students. Always has been a small school. I honestly don't know how you could afford to run a college with only that many students.
WOW!! There are so many more Democrats at Jackson Jambalaya than I ever imagined possible. How do I know you are Democrat? Because only a Democrat expects a person to be held accountable for things he did not do, did not approve of and did not even know was being done. Only a Democrat would demand that another person's right to privacy should be violated in order to satisfy that Democrat's overwhelming need for revenge (for something that he would have been totally unaware of if not for social media). And only a Democrat is so filled with hate that he will accept nothing less than Dr. Perrigen's head on a stick as payback for something someone ELSE did.
There are HUNDREDS of employees at Millsaps college (including the adminstration) who go to work every day and do their jobs to the best of the God-given abilities in order to provide a good environment where your children can get a good education. Yet you absolutely refuse to see THEM. You will ONLY see the other two. You sit like hungry wolves hoping for your chance to devour anyone and everyone associated with Millsaps so you can pretend to show the world how "noble" you are. Honestly, I don't know how you look yourselves in the mirror every day. You make me want to puke.
Do no harm, do good, love God. I wonder if those involved in this incident, sudents, instructors, or administators, know where that simple edict came from? Looks like the have forgotten if they ever knew in the first place.
12:23 - Puke --- might do you some good to get that sancitmonous stick out of your ass.
I wouldn't send my CHILDREN to that school for love or money. Also -- HUNDREDS of people at that school seem to be "go along and get along" employees -- not standing up for anything, so not quite sure how "noble" they are. Endemic in most academic institutions sadly. The man or woman who starts a TRUE academic institution based on education, not indoctrination, might just have a winner. Hillsdale College seems to have figured this out. Ever watch or read 1984 by Orwell 12:23? Might want to ........we have an entire group think of IDIOTS out there, and they're a self-licking ice cream cone -- living in their little world that others fund, and telling each other how brilliant they are and what great thoughts they think. They're all just a a group of "STONE THE ROUND EARTH PEOPLE" -- who know the world is flat and will do anything to promote their agenda, to include attacking "disbelievers", telling you your racist, bigoted, homophobic.........YAWN........ wish it held meaning any more but it just doesn't. Pull the Millsap's Plug!
I love Millsaps and cherish my time there as a student, but if Millsaps doesn’t return to its core principle of teaching the best and brightest to think critically instead of promoting leftist talking points, then it will wither and die. The reactions to my posts on the Millsaps Facebook page from recent graduates to my posts have left me depressed and disappointed.
When did the walls of Jerico begin to crumble? Can it be traced back to the hiring of McIlwain? Did the very foundation begin to rumble earlier? Could it have been fueled by the resignation of a president who began to question her own gender assignment? What caused this unGodly phenomenon to occur right here in our midst, under our very noses?
Does the school color of purple offer up a hint. Is that associated with the Vatican in spite of the school's attachment to the Methodist cult? It's very possible that the wearing of purple got these people sideways and sucked them into the cavern created by the current Pope. Anything is possible my friends. Here, have some Kool-Aid and a couple of saltines. We will be breaking into focus groups after lunch. Bring your pastels and a new brush.
8:33,
In the last 10 years Millsaps has had a Conerly Trophy winner and a Ms. Mississippi, so I don't think you know what you are talking about.
8:33 probably went to a college/university where half of the major athletes wouldn't have been accepted to said college if it weren't for their athletic ability. Additionally, some of the said athletes probably have terrible attitudes, and only stay in school because of tutors that do their work and professors who feel pressured to pass them, etc.
The majority of Jackson is lost.
Fire Bowley and lower tuition, Millsaps!
Always interesting to see the online bully look for sympathy later, Jim.
We now live in a country where survival of the fittest is not a thing. This is a natural law that ensures survival of our species by weeding out the undesirable by natural selection and rejection by the group for doing things detrimental to the good of the group. We now have many generations of undesirables breeding other undesirables who enjoy showing their undesirable characteristics as virtues. I would think they are getting a rush, similar to the first time a little boy says a cuss word with their friends and an adult wasn't there to correct their behavior. Just looking at those people, I known they are weak sauce. They know it but in that environment, they can make it.
6:39 correct in all regards -- reference Daniel Patrick Moynihan -- Defining Deviancy Down -- 1993. One of the few Democrats that actually spoke truth -- didn't always like his solutions, but he never shied away from the facts. Caught Hell for this one but never backed down.
These kids and instructors (the kids were "instructed somewhere along the way" on this "acceptable behavior") are the worst of our society, and sadly they see themselves as the best and the brightest, because they're the participation trophy generation. Words mean so much more than deeds but they have never gotten that memo.
Also -- who paid for all the food (note the photo KF provided and girth size on most of them) and also the tattoos these kids have -- don't see them hitting Omaha Beach.
Fat and stupid is no way to go through life but I think they're doomed and so are we if we allow those "department heads" or "tenured professors" to continue to access our kids.
Would any of us put Drano on the floor with a toddler -- well, we're doing it now with college educations and our impressionable teens. It's straight poison and we are opening the door for the kids. We got lazy and let our educational systems be taken over by liberal, incompetent, self-indulgent, ignorant, biased, people.......... sad for us. Don't know if we have the testicular fortitude to stand up and push back. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
It’s sort of sad.
They rebel by pre destroying portions of a building which will soon be destroyed.
It’s connived mayhem.
What emotions are they really showing?
Nothing but idiots on this thread.
The building was to be renovated, not demolished. The areas defaced are still standing.
In looking at the photos I saw posted online, the group photo with the professor and students did not reflect the obscene graffiti on the walls. Look at the walls of the group photo, it is obvious the graffiti happened after this group photo. Where are the pictures of the actual graffiti taking place, where are the pictures of the paint cans that were used, why didn't the person taking the photos notify security immediately? Because the vandalism happened after the group gathered, who knows who was actually there at the time? Use your noggins In the famous words of Trump "FAKE NEWS"!
Really 2:18...You're not smart enough to pick out the same students in multiple photos? Nice try.
"Disciplinary processes were initiated against the students and faculty involved."
Simply untrue. I know one of the students involve who said they incurred no disciplinary action.
2:18, will you also argue that the KKK members who would pose for a photo beside a lynched black person were actually there to protest the violence?
Seems every institution, whether government, political subdivisions, places of high learning, corporate, public, private...they all have somebody on contract to swoop in and handle damage control. Gotta be wordy and say the right stuff.
Must include some heady stuff like 'customers', 'core principles' and 'commitment to excellence'........
Millsaps has made a really strong response and solved every little thing. They purged all negative comments on their Millsaps College FB page. (hundreds of them) Presto - SOLVED! FIXED! What nasty words? Crocus, daffodils & congrats for this pretty little ole campus. All good now. No F-ck Trump, No V-gina Rules, No dripping Peni! All fixed. Like magic. Long live libs!
Wasn't Millsaps supposed to announce something a couple days ago?
FAST FORWARD
And now the President of Millsaps is getting 'outta Dodge'. The school has been dying a slow death for years. And the decline only continues. Tri-Delta chapter just announced that it will no longer exist at Millsaps.
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