Lets take a quick look at what the media has recently had to say about St. John's University
from the New York Daily News 11/5/2012
"[Ex-St. John’s University dean Cecilia Chang] said there was virtually no oversight of her activities by former school President the Rev. Joseph Cahill, who is dead, or current President Donald Harrington....... She also said she passed $400,000 in cash to Harrington over a decade “to help the poor” and that he scored 40 to 50 custom-made suits from famed “Sam the Tailor” in Hong Kong."
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...s-stealing-1m-article-1.1197060#ixzz2BRcgbYoe
from BloombergBusinessWeek 11/5/2012
Prosecutors alleged that Cecilia Chang, 59, a former Asian studies dean and vice president of international affairs at the Queens, New York-based school, stole donations intended for the university, lied on tax forms and made students work in her home as a condition of receiving full-tuition scholarships.
Chang testified today that about 19 students worked for her each year as drivers, house-cleaners and office workers, with some also living in her home....
Chang had the authority to grant about 15 full-tuition scholarships each year, according to court papers. University officials were under the impression that the work she asked them to do was related to the Asian studies program, the government said.
The students, many of whom were from overseas, received letters telling them they were “expected to perform duties assigned by the Vice President for International Relations and the Dean of the Center of Asian Studies for a period of 20 hours per week,”..... The letters also stated the “grant may be terminated at any time by the dean if the recipient fails to perform his or her work duties,” according to the filing.
Some of the costs that she bore included jewelry and clothing for Harrington and other university officials, which she bought when they were traveling abroad, Chang said today. Harrington testified earlier in the trial that he had met with Chang partly to express concern about her expense submissions.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...n-s-dean-says-she-cared-about-students-school
from the New York Times 11/5/2012
Prosecutors presented considerable evidence against Dr. Chang. Documents and e-mails from the university showed hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal items, including repairs for her Mercedes-Benz car, that had been charged to a university credit card. And a series of former students testified about the menial labor they performed for her and the threats of lost scholarships they faced if they balked.....
she bought countless personal items on the school credit card, but only because she had first spent hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket without being reimbursed — including for the purchase of
dozens of tailored suits for the university president from the finest haberdasher in Hong Kong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/06/n...dean-denies-she-stole-from-st-johns.html?_r=0
from the Niagara Gazette 11/3/2012
Embroiled in this high-profile campus scandal at the nation's largest Catholic university is the Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., the president of St. John's. Harrington
The priest said he did accompany Chang and other St. John's staff members to Asia. He also told the court that they stayed at five-star hotels and received gifts from potential donors.
Harrington said (he) accepted (the gifts) on Chang's recommendations. He was told it was important to stay at that hotel because it would impact on the image of St. John's as a first-class university.
It was disclosed in court that she (Chang) presented him (Harrington) with a gift-wrapped box filled with money. 'It was 100 dollar bills and I just didn't feel real comfortable with that now," the priest said. When he returned the gift to Chang, she became upset, somewhat emotional and even appeared embarrassed, he recalled.
Harrington said he kept declining her monetary gifts until she lableled them as money to be given to the poor. He told the court that he then accepted those contributions as a priest and distributed them accordingly.
http://niagara-gazette.com/opinion/x121540961/GLYNN-Ex-NU-president-under-fire-at-St-Johns
Harrington has embarrassed St. John's University.
He should do the honorable thing and resign.
