On Nov. 13, the News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware ran a story on a “nationally known Holocaust educator Jack P. McGough.” McGough had spoken the day before at the student center on the campus of the University of Delaware (UD) in Newark; he was identified as a professor at UD. The Jewish Federation of Delaware sponsored his talk, “Where Were the Churches?” McGough singled out the Catholic Church for being the worst denier of the Holocaust.
Upon reading this story, the Catholic League inquired into the credentials of McGough and then contacted both the Jewish Center and the News Journal. Patrick Scully, the league’s director of communications, called Sue Shaffer, director of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, and league president William Donohue called Jean Buchanan, city editor of the News Journal. Both were told the same thing: a) McGough is not a nationally known expert on the Holocaust or on any other historical subject b) he is neither an author, historian nor social scientist and c) he is not a professor at the University of Delaware (UD). In fact, McGough is a retired executive who teaches continuing education courses at UD’s Academy of Lifelong Learning.
Donohue is angry at all three parties and spoke to this issue today:
“Shaffer admitted she could not identify McGough’s credentials and Buchanan was equally perplexed (she promised to call me on Nov. 27 after investigating this matter but did not; nor did she return another call). McGough promised to send Scully his resume but then reneged when he found out ‘you’re Donohue’s group.’ As if that matters.
“Shaffer and the News Journal clearly evince a disturbing eagerness to believe the worst about Catholicism. The newspaper is the worst offender because of its refusal to run a retraction after learning that it had been suckered in by this phony, Jack P. McGough.”
