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