Anti-religious bigotry has struck two campuses of the State University of New York (SUNY). In November, SUNY-New Paltz hosted a conference entitled, “Revolting Behavior: The Challenges of Women’s Sexual Freedom.” Widely discussed for its obscene exhibitions, the conference also targeted Orthodox Jews and Catholics: both were mocked and humiliated in a most callous way. Then last month, the student newspaper at SUNY-Stony Brook, the Press, depicted graphically and editorially a vile, anti-Catholic and ad hominem attack against SUNY Trustee, Dr. Candace de Russy; de Russy was the person who blew the whistle on what happened on the New Paltz campus.
Catholic League president William Donohue explained what the league is doing about this issue:
“I have written a letter to SUNY Trustees, New York State Education officials, the Governor and the entire New York State Legislature, asking them to explain why SUNY has allowed this bigoted assault against Catholics and Jews to occur with impunity. Specifically, I would like to know why Catholics and Jews appear to be treated differently than African-Americans and gays: there is little doubt that if the latter two groups were the subject of a vicious assault, much more would be said than the usual First Amendment response.
“The First Amendment, of course, allows for administrators and faculty to express their moral outrage at what has happened. Their deafening silence will only give succor to the bigots, making further assaults likely.
“The cruel attack on Dr. de Russy is particularly upsetting insofar as she is being punished for simply doing her job. At the very least, the Catholic League would like to see New York State officials contact Dr. de Russy expressing their support for what she has done and empathy for her situation.”
