IL--Victims want college to remove Hastert honor
For immediate release: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2015
Statement by Kate Bochte of Geneva, SNAP leader (630 768 1860, [email protected])
We call on board members at Northern Illinois University to follow the lead of officials at Kendall County, Oswego Village and the Yorkville Wrestling Club and remove any and all honors given to an admitted criminal, ex-House speaker Dennis Hastert.
http://www.kcchronicle.com/2015/11/09/hasterts-legacy-a-black-eye/a6tyq8y/?page=1
In 1999, NIU gave Hastert an honorary degree. It should be revoked.
Trustee Robert Boey disagrees. “I don’t think it’s fair, unless we really know the details,” he told one news outlet. That’s callous and wrong.
Last month, Hastert pleaded guilty to federal charges of evading banking laws as he allegedly sought to conceal hush-money payments to an unnamed person. Hastert had agreed to pay $3.5 million to hide past misconduct; The Associated Press and other sources have reported it was sexual misconduct during his time as a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School, where he worked from 1965 to ‘81.
By refusing to take action, school officials are making it harder for current victims of campus sex crimes to report their experiences. And they’re rubbing salt into the already deep and still fresh wounds of dozens of already-hurt students and alums.
Several times, I voted for Hastert. I met him once when he visited my child’s school. But he deserves no honors, especially not from a taxpayer-funded institution.
For the healing of the wounded and the protection of the vulnerable, Hastert’s honor should be withdrawn. It serves no purpose now but to heap more pain on those already suffering and discourage them from reporting offenders and getting help.
According to one news account, “Hastert is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 29. Federal prosecutors have agreed to ask he be sentenced to not more than six months in prison.”
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Hastert's legacy 'a black eye' -- Officials begin removing reminders of former speaker of the House
Published: Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 5:27 p.m. CST, By MATT SCHURY - [email protected]
The question of how disgraced former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert will be remembered in the wake of his pleading guilty to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme is beginning to be answered.
Hastert, a Plano resident, agreed last month to a deal with federal prosecutors that recommends he serve no more than six months in prison. The deal would allow Hastert to avert a trial in the case. A judge, however, could go . . .
Officials are beginning to remove
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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