Letter to SUNY Board of Trustees
Dear Trustees,
We are writing to you as advocates for the rights and dignity of survivors of sexual abuse and for the prevention of these crimes. A recent situation in Buffalo has, in our opinion, negatively impacted the SUNY brand. We want to ensure both that you are aware of this development and also that you are taking steps to respond to it.
According to the Buffalo News, an adjunct history professor at SUNY Fredonia named Paul Lubienecki has been arrested and charged with stalking a Buffalo journalist who has been covering cases of clergy sexual abuse in the local Catholic diocese. Apparently angered at how the Diocese of Buffalo was being portrayed, your professor threatened to kill the messenger. Thanks to the work of police, no harm came to the reporter.
Given Mr. Lubienecki's obvious bias in favor of his faith and this apparent tendency to threaten violence against those who discuss his faith, we fear any student exposed with an opposition view could be subject to ridicule, bias, or even worse. He truly does not belong in a position of educational trust or authority
We believe that this kind of behavior deserves the strongest possible condemnation from the SUNY system. Professor Lubienecki should be immediately removed from his position. We cannot believe that a man who would threaten violence to a journalist should be shaping the minds of future generations. We hope you will take steps to remove him from his position and inform the public as to why as soon as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Dan McNevin
Oakland Leader, SNAP
Zach Hiner
Executive Director, SNAP
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