CUA Community Demands Dignity for Survivors

From: Students of the National Catholic School of Social Service

To: John Garvey, President
The Catholic University of America
620 Michigan Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20064

Cc: Andrew Abela, Provost; Members of the CUA Board of Trustees: Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila; Richard D. Bazinger; Lawrence J. Blanford; Lee Ann Joiner Bradey; Bishop Michael F. Burbidge; Joseph L. Carlini; William E. Conway Jr.; Cardinal Blase J. Cupich; Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo; Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan; Sister Janet Eisner, S.N.D.; Bishop Daniel E. Flores; Archbishop José H. Gomez; Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory; Frank J. Hanna III; Stephen J. Kaneb; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz; Carol Mathews Lascaris; Leonard A. Leo; Archbishop William E. Lori; William P. McInerney, Esq.; Michael J. Millette; Gerard E. Mitchell, Esq,; Jeffrey R. Moreland; Anne E. O'Donnell; Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap.; E. Jeffrey Rossi, Esq.; Monsignor Walter R. Rossi; Catharine Murray Ryan; Enrique Segura; Victor P. Smith, Esq.; Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss. R.; Monsignor Peter J. Vaghi; Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl; Lawrence J. Morris


Dear President Garvey,

We, the undersigned students of the National Catholic School of Social Service, respectfully write to demand the removal of Dean Rainford, effective immediately.
Social work is a profession of values. As professionals, we are unique in that we are not defined by the type of work we do, but by our shared commitment to ethical principles. We are clinicians; we are case managers; we are advocates; we are facilitators; we are administrators; and we are policymakers. Yet what makes us social workers is not what we do, but how we do it.
Our core values are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These values are taught to us in the first days of our training and reiterated throughout our course of study. Demonstrating a commitment to these values is required by the Council on Social Work Education for our school’s accreditation and for our professional licensure.
We have joined our futures to the future of this program. As soon-to-be job candidates, we hope that when we put the National Catholic School of Social Service on our resume it conveys to the social work community that we have received a superior education and training grounded in these values. As the newest standard bearers for our school and for the profession, our success personally and collectively depends on our ability to embody these values in our words and actions. As graduates we will do our best to represent NCSSS, and we expect that NCSSS will do its best to represent us.
Unfortunately, we have reached a point where the reputation of our program is in jeopardy. Dean Rainford’s comments were damaging to survivors of sexual violence and represented a dangerous ignorance about the experience of women who have been raped, sexually assaulted, sexually harassed or otherwise harmed by sexual misconduct. His comments violated every single one of the values that define our profession. By extension, he has cast a pall over our program.
Many of us work for organizations that support survivors of sexual violence, and the first thing that we are taught is to “start by believing.” In failing to meet this basic protocol, Dean Rainford has shown that he lacks competence in a key area of a profession in which he is supposed to be a leader. He has shown that he is willing to replicate and perpetuate patterns of violence and oppression rather than working for social justice. He has shown that he lacks the integrity to stand up for those who need it most. He has disrespected the dignity and worth of not just one survivor, but of survivors everywhere. He has done grave damage to the community of human relationships on our university campus by creating an environment where survivors of sexual violence may feel less heard, less believed, and less safe. And he has done an incredible disservice to the faculty, staff, students, alumni, clients, and affiliates of the NCSSS and the Catholic University of America.
While we appreciate the apology that Dean Rainford wrote, it does not change the fact that he has proven himself grossly unqualified for the position he now holds. As individuals who pay the tuition that funds his salary, individuals whose future job prospects depend on the reputation of the school, and individuals who are heartbroken at the way he has treated one and many survivors of sexual violence, we demand his removal.
For the future success of our program and for the health and well being of the CUA community, it will be necessary for you, President Garvey, to rebuild the trust that has been broken by Dean Rainford. We ask that you begin this process with an unequivocal assurance, delivered to the entire CUA community, that any member of the CUA community who reports sexual assault will be treated with respect, with an understanding of the gravity of the allegations, with the full cooperation of the university and – most importantly – with an assumption of credibility. Sending out an affirmative statement to the CUA community regarding your commitment to supporting and respecting the survivors of sexual violence and replacing Dean Rainford with an individual who embodies the values of social work, will go a long way toward repairing the damage that has been done this week. We are willing to lend our time and energy to supporting you in this process, and we look forward to new leadership that embodies the values that brought us here.


Sincerely,



Bi’Anncha Andrews, MSW Class of 2019
Lauren Bahr, BSW Class of 2020
Olivia Baker, MSW Class of 2019
Merry Baronas, MSW Class of 2019
Monique Beach, MSW Class of 2019
Marissa Bottino Strader, MSW Class of 2019
Stephanie Brumfield, MSW Class of 2020
Angela Carpenter Gildner, MSW Class of 2021
Grace Chen, MSW Class of 2019
Allana Chittick, MSW Class of 2022
Frances Churchill, MSW Class of 2022
Carolyn Clark, MSW Class of 2019
Victoria Conaway, MSW Class of 2019
Margaret Cooney, MSW Class of 2019
Elizabeth Cox, BSW Class of 2019
Madeline Cox, MSW Class of 2020
Sally Dahljelm, MSW Class of 2020
Crystal Davis, MSW Class of 2019
Brian Delaurentis, MSW Class of 2019
Betsey Dewey, MSW Class of 2019
Maggie Dierker, MSW Class of 2020
Maryam Epting, MSW Class of 2020
Amy Feeser, MSW Class of 2019
Kacie Finneran 2020
Kathryn Furtado, MSW Class of 2019
Gabriela Galavis, BSW Class of 2020
Rachel Garcia-Geary, BSW Class of 2021
Joseph Garnett, MSW Class of 2019
Noemi Girón, MSW Class of 2019
Jessica Glover, MSW Class of 2020
Amy Goldfrank, MSW Class of 2019
Genesis González MSW Class of 2020
Britney Greenwood, MSW Class of 2019
Coleia Grimes, MSW Class of 2019
Anthony Hain, MSW Class of 2019
Ashlyn Harty, MSW Class of 2019
Ornella Hegbe, MSW Class of 2019
Melissa Herendeen, MSW Class of 2020
Fernanda Ruiz Sanchez Hidalgo, MSW Class of 2019
Ami Kernan, MSW Class of 2020
Julie Kirtz, MSW Class of 2019
Cliodhna Ailis MacFadden, MSW Class of 2020
Courtney Markey, MSW Class of 2021
Devin Maroney, MSW Class of 2019
Katie McDermott, MSW Class of 2019
Ellen McSweeney, MSW Class of 2019
Lisa Merriman, MSW Class of 2020
Anna Misleh, MSW Class of 2020
Katie Moon, MSW Class of 2019
Jenny Moore, MSW Class of 2019
Kate Myers, MSW Class of 2019
Zachary Panossian, BSW Class of 2020
Annabella Prezioso, BSW Class of 2021
Lauren Reliford, MSW Class of 2020
Myers Rhoad, MSW Class of 2019
Jennifer Ross, MSW Class of 2020
Philip Sain, MSW Class of 2020
Martina Samoel, Class of 2020
Nora Schauble, MSW Class of 2019
Alex Schneider, MSW Class of 2019
Abigail Schwartz, MSW Winter 2018
Ana Serra, MSW Class of 2020=
Sandra Shapiro, MSW Class of 2020
Michelle Sinkgraven, MSW Class of 2020
Rachel Skulnik MSW Class of 2020
Julia Smith, MSW Class of 2019
Sara Solomon, MSW Class of 2020
Martha Solt, MSW Class of 2020
Sarah Sorvalis, MSW Class of 2019
Eve Stutsman-Hubbell, MSW Class of 2019
Catherine Szczybor, MSW Class of 2020
Jelani Tendai, MSW Class of 2020
Amanda Thompson, MSW Class of 2020
Julia Tuvin, MSW Class of 2019
Heather Wasik, MSW Class of 2021
Rebecca Wineland, MSW Class of 2019
Alex Wood, MSW Class of 2019
Frances Wu, MSW Class of 2020
Margarita Zwisler, MSW Class of 2019




Addendum to the NCSSS Student Letter to Catholic University of American President Garvey: Core Competency #1 from the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:
• make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;
• use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations;
• demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;
• use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
• use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.

https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Accreditation-Process/2015-EPAS/2015EPAS_Web_FINAL.pdf.aspx