St Benet's Bites Back
Cherwell journalists may face proctorization over last week's front page story claiming that a St. Benet's student was "out for being gay."
The Master of the permanent private hall, Father Henry Wansbrough, contacted the clerk to the proctors, Dr Brian Gasser, about several "inaccuracies" in the article. Dr Gasser told The OxStu that whilst no action will be brought against the Cherwell as a whole, individual journalists come under the Proctors jurisdiction.
The news story reported how a member of the hall, who is a matriculated Oxford student, was called back to his monastic order in Austria after he was found to be having a gay relationship with another monk.
Talking to The OxStu, Wansbrough made several criticisms, stating that "if 'out for being gay'implies that the student was slung out, that is simply untrue." He also objected to the suggestion that the student was compelled to cut short his studies, stating that "he was not compelled by anyone here". To the claim that "it is now unlikely he will be able to graduate", Wansbrough was emphatic that "he is absolutely free to do so, if his superiors decide that he should not continue in religious life, he is still welcome to continue his studies in theology here. It is a matter between him and his religious family."
In a letter of complaint to the Cherwell, St Benet's JCR President George Christofides Christofides expressed concern over the editorial claim that St Benet's, because it is not affiliated to OUSU, is able to "do what they like" as far as gender and sexuality are concerned. He describes the claim as nonsense, and highlighted how the hall "subscribes to University policy concerning discrimination on the grounds of race and sexuality. It was a monastic case and the same action would have been taken had the relationship been with a female." Christofides added "I don't object to the fact that they ran the story, but they made the college out to be homophobic." Cherwell editor Josh Goodman refused Christofides' request to print a letter of apology.
As the Proctors consider the case, Torsten Henricson-Bell, who wrote the article, told us: "if any offence has been caused we regret that, but the article was factually accurate." Goodman agreed, describing the article as "a perfectly reasonable way of describing the events which occurred."
OUSU VP Welfare Andrew Copson said "that the student is a matriculated member of the university and is entitled to pursue his course regardless of his sexual orientation. If St. Benet's are prepared to allow him that, then good for them."
13th Feb 2003