Maroon

              rwgrhrebh the Maroon VOL. 82, NO. 6 rdsgrshdn MAROON.LOYNO.EDU KNOTH RESIGNS By Lola Thelin Staff writer Sexual misconduct alleged; claims found credible The Rev. Bernard P. Knoth, S.J., was absent from a press conference outside his former office Tuesday afternoon that confirmed his resignation as university president. Knoth left town sometime this week for Chicago to deal with an allegation of sexual misconduct stemming from 1986. In an open letter to students and faculty, he denied the accusation. He resigned after an eight-year termthat began in August 1995. The Rev. William J. Byron, S.J., will serve as interim president until a permanent president can be found. The complaint was filed by a former student of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Ind., according to George Kearney, director of publication for the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus. The incident is reported to have happened in 1986 at the coed school. Knoth was principal there at the time. Authorities would not divulge the complaintant's age or sex, although the statute of limitations for reporting sexual misconduct runs out in Indiana when the victim turns 31. As of press BERNARD KNOTH, S.J. Former university president departs Announcement surprises students, faculty, staff time Wednesday night, no civil or criminal charges had been filed against Knoth in an Indianapolis court. The allegation went through the Jesuits' Chicago Provincial Review Board, which dealt with the preliminary investigation and found the alleged victim's claim to be credible. The Chicago Province then received the review board's decision and accepted its judgment. The 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was passed in Dallas last year as a measure to protect children in the care of the Catholic clergy. Chicago's Provincial Superior removed Knoth from active ministry to comply with that charter, which was the result of a nationwide sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Both the charter and the Norms of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops outline that when a complaint against a member of the clergy is deemed credible, the clergy member must be removed from active ministry if the alleged incident involves a minor. Following his removal from active ministry, Knoth was forced to Former A&S dean named interim president resign because of Loyola's requirement that its president must be a priest in good standing. He also requested a leave of absence from the Society of Jesus, which is not a stipulation of the Dallas charter. Donna Fraiche, chairwoman of Loyola's Board of Trustees, and Byron learned of Knoth's pending resignation more than a week ago. An anonymous tip reached The Maroon's news editor Monday morning, but an official statement did not come out until Tuesday morning, when Fraiche summoned the members of the board for an emergency meeting and press Former coach accuses Loyola of age discrimination By Gene Guillot Staff writer Suit seeks damages for unreceivedpay Former head baseball coach Don Moreau, 66, filed a lawsuit Monday against Loyola for what he claims is age discrimination. Ronald Wilson, Moreau's attorney, said he sent a copy of the lawsuit to the Office of the President at Loyola Tuesday morning. Moreau was fired on May 20, 2002, after the athletic department upgraded the baseball coach position to a full-time position, athletic director Jerry Hernandez said. Moreau worked as the part-time coach for 12 years. Moreau was unavailable for comment because he is out of town coaching in a basketball tournament, Wilson said. According to Hernandez, a fulltime coach at Loyola must have a college degree. Since Moreau does not have one, the department decided to make a personnel change. But Wilson said the real reason that Moreau was fired was because of his age. Moreau was 65 years old at the time he was fired; his replacement, Greg Mucerino, is 33. Wilson also said that Loyola terribly mishandled the situation. Shortly after leading his team to a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship and an appearance in the national tournament, Wilson said. Moreau was given the choice of either resigning or being terminated. Wilson said that the lawsuit could have been avoided had the university treated Moreau with more respect. Moreau asked if he could consult his family before deciding but was denied permission. Wilson said his client begged to go home and talk to his wife, but that instead Moreau was terminated on the spot. "What precipitated the lawsuit was the ultimatum of either resign or be terminated," Wilson said. "He has felt humiliation from the way they treated him. If a person is treated with dignity, then most of these cases don't happen." Hernandez claimed that he explained to Moreau that the department upgraded the baseball coach position to full-time, and that since Moreau didn't meet the new requirements, he had to be let go. "That's it," Hernandez said. "I told him very simply. Very plain." When Loyola reinstated athletics Byron laments but vows to help By Christina Chvala Staff writer The Board of Trustees appointed the Rev. William J. Byron, S.J., interim president of Loyola Tuesday morning after the resignation of the Rev. Bernard R Knoth, S.J. "I accept this responsibility with enthusiasm for Loyola — its past, present, and future. I do so because I am a Jesuit who has been called upon by a Jesuit university in a moment of need," Byron said in a statement issued Tuesday. Byron said his new appointment is bittersweet. "It is a sad duty," Byron said Wednesday. "Regardless of innocence or guilt, [Knoth] must be crushed and hurt. I feel badly for him." Byron made it clear Wednesday that the alleged victims in any scandal like this must be thought of. "1 have known people who have gone through [sexual abuse]. It's traumatic." Despite the less than ideal circumstances that brought about his appointment, Byron is eager to be of service to Loyola. And he is no stranger to New Orleans. He served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola from 1973 to 1975 and will return in a few weeks to settle in his old Thomas Hall residence. Byron expects his term as interim president to last around nine months — the time he guessed it will take the Board of Trustees to find a permanent president. But this projected short term will not be an inactive one. Byron plans on spending much of his time getting reacquainted with Loyola and meeting with the students in open forums, at the Danna Center and in the dorms. And Byron said the projects begun during Knoth's presidency are still on the agenda. Byron has had previous experience serving as university president at both the University of Scranton and The Catholic University of America. He has ■ Media decend on Loyola, page 3 STAFF PHOTO BY GILLIAN DICKER The Rev. William Byron S.J., interim president of Loyola University, addresses reporters outside the Office of the President in Marquette Hall on Tuesday. News rocks campus By Katie Ide Assistant news editor Shock and disbelief spread across Loyola's campus this week as word spread of a scandal that took the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., university president, from the New Orleans community that he had served for eight years. The Jesuit community and University Ministry reacted quickly and held a prayer service Wednesday night meant to help heal students, faculty and staff members who are still reeling from the alleged scandal. "We've all suffered a wound," the Rev. Si Hendry, S.J., director of the Loyola's Jesuit Center said. "It felt like somebody dropped a bowling ball in my stomach." Psychology senior Kayla Whitehead said that the allegations were surprising. She said that Knoth, who had always been very polite to her, never seemed as if he could be involved in such a scandal. Robert Reed, the director of the See RESIGNATION, Page 3 See BYRON, Page 2 See REACTION, Page 4 See MOREAU, Page 2