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Monday, April 26, 2021

Complaints About Boston College Priest Sent to Leahy, Jesuit Provincial Years Prior to Rape Allegation Julia Kiersznowski Assoc. News Editor Victor Stefanescu Asst. News Editor Amy Palmer Asst. News Editor Megan Kelly News Editor

embers of the Boston College community sent complaints beginning in the 1997-98 academic year to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., accusing Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J., a Jesuit at BC from 1990 to 1998, of inappropriate conduct with students. Dziak—who went on to work at Jesuit schools in Jamaica, New Orleans, and New York—was accused last week of raping a postgraduate volunteer in Belize in 2004, according to nola.com. In one instance, members of the chaplaincy—which is now Campus Ministry—submitted a letter to Leahy during the 1997-98 academic year containing student complaints about Dziak’s troublesome behavior. In the spring of 1998, Dziak announced he would be leaving the University for a position at a school in Jamaica. Matt Stautberg, BC ’99, said he met with Leahy in the summer of 1998, while Dziak was on his way out of BC, to discuss the Ignacio Volunteers program, which Dziak had been directing since 1991. During this meeting, Stautberg said he also brought up Dziak’s troubling behavior. “At that point I was more focused on continuing the program and finding us a new staff person to help,” Stautberg said. “But I did express that [Dziak] was inappropriate. Childlike stuff, where he wouldn’t talk to chaplaincy … My memory was that [Leahy] was very thoughtful and listened

and [was] understanding.” Stautberg also wrote a separate letter— of which he sent Leahy a copy—in the fall of that year to Rev. Robert Levens, S.J., the provincial, or leader, of the New England Province of the Society of Jesus at the time. In the letter, which was obtained by The Heights, Stautberg describes how Dziak emotionally abused him and expressed that he did not think Dziak should continue working with young people. Beth Eilers, BC ’97 and BCSOE ’99, also wrote a letter that was obtained by The Heights to Levens on March 18, 1999, where she emphasized Dziak’s pattern of emotional abuse. Leahy was copied on Eilers’ letter as well. Tim Ballard, a DePaul University graduate and a volunteer who served from 2004 to 2006 through Jesuit Volunteers International (JVI)—an organization launched by Dziak—alleged that Dziak raped him four times during a trip to Belize. Three of those times, the two had been drinking together, Ballard said, and Ballard alleges that he was drugged all four times. BC has not made any public statement regarding allegations against Dziak or whether Leahy read the letters sent to him, but directed The Heights to the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, which was established in 2014 to combine the New England and New York provinces and could not immediately be reached for comment. hough Dziak took over Ignacio Volunteers at BC in the 1990s, this was not his first time directing a volun-

teer service program. Dziak launched JVI through Georgetown University in 1984, which placed college graduates into international service experiences, according to Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Dennis Heaphy, an early volunteer at JVI, told nola.com that Dziak tried to get the two to watch movies and drink beer together, and the priest was angry when the invitations were denied. Dziak also kissed Heaphy on the head and said “I love you” while the two were traveling to Belize, Heaphy said. Heaphy’s time in Belize was cut short by a diving accident that left him paralyzed, according to nola.com. Decades removed

said. “‘The group that I took here last time got naked around each other much more frequently. They were a lot more open with their nudity, you know, and I don’t feel that this group has achieved that level of comfort yet.’” Jose Tamayo, BC ’97, said he volunteered with Ignacio Volunteers in Jamaica his senior year and in Belize the following winter as a group leader. Tamayo said that during the first trip he had a friendly and light relationship with Dziak, but noticed that the graduate group leaders constantly seemed exhausted. “It was like visible stress, visible exhaustion,” he said. “Physically run down. Like worn out, wrung out.” Tamayo said he didn’t understand the leaders’ frustration until he became a graduate leader in Belize the following year and experienced emotional abuse at the hands of Dziak. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOYOLA MAROON AND JAWDAR TINAWI “Immediately, he from the trip, Heaphy said he still remem- turned very hostile,” Tamayo said. “He bers Dziak’s actions. never told you what you needed to do, or “Ted used the classic steps of a patho- what there was to do. And anything you did logical abuser,” Heaphy said to nola.com. was wrong. It was like a trap every time.” Jeffrey Robinson, BC ’00, attended a trip Dziak would keep group leaders awake to Belize with Dziak through BC’s Ignacio until the late hours of the night, and also Volunteers program. Robinson said that wake them up hours before the other volDziak encouraged the attendees to change unteers, Tamayo said. their clothes in front of one another during “I mean, I think I got three hours of the trip. sleep a night for the length of the trip,” he “He came into the room and was visibly said. “And of course that messes with you upset or emotionally upset, and what he and it gets very edgy. It’s like a torture.” said to us was ‘This group doesn’t seem A former BC chaplain who worked to be open with one another,’” Robinson alongside Dziak on service programs,

who was granted anonymity out of fear of retaliation from BC, said they heard things about Dziak’s misconduct even before they came to BC in the early 1990s. “I had friends who had worked in the Jesuit Volunteers International—there was, like, a whole group in Boston of all these former Jesuit volunteers,” the chaplain said. “So, through that network, I had heard a few things about Fr. Dziak, concerns, before I got to BC.” Through their work on service programs at BC, the chaplain said they became close to students who said that Dziak had traumatized them. The chaplain also said student leaders would often share stories about how the priest made students uncomfortable. tautberg joined Ignacio Volunteers as a freshman in 1995. Throughout his time with the program, Stautberg said that Dziak repeatedly made it clear he wanted to be close friends with him. When Stautberg didn’t reciprocate these feelings, he said, Dziak grew frustrated. “He said things and wrote things and left voicemails … telling me that I was wrong because I wouldn’t be his friend and what was wrong with me and questioning if I was really serious, really making me doubt myself,” Stautberg told The Heights. told Stautberg that he was leaving BC before the news of his departure became public. Stautberg said Dziak would open up to him about problems he was having with Levens, the provincial at the time, as well as with BC. He also said Dziak told Stautberg that he was leaving BC before the news of his departure became public.

See Dziak, A3

New Gun Store Ignites Controversy in Newton Many in the community oppose a firearms business. Julia Remick Metro Editor

The possibility of a gun store, Newton Firearms, opening in Newton has been met with opposition by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, all 24 members of the Newton City Council, and members of the community. “The news of a firearms dealer wanting to open in Newton comes after years of so many mass shootings in so many places from schools, theaters, and concerts to grocery stores and business places,” Fuller said in a statement on Thursday. “It comes after so many gun deaths reported on the news seemingly every day, ranging from a stray bullet killing a grandmother on a front porch to a teenager on the street to a convenience store clerk during a robbery.” Newton Firearms advertises a firearms sale f loor, ammunition, gun accessories, safety training, and other services, according to its website. Fuller first learned that a proprietor applied to open a gun store a few weeks ago, she said. Although Fuller and the council asked Interim Chief of Police Howard Mintz and the Commissioner of Inspectional Service if it was possible to deny a license, they were told that the

applicant met the qualifications for a license, Fuller said. Newton does not currently have zoning in place to regulate where a gun store can open and relies on state and federal regulations of gun sales, according to Fuller. Fuller and the council signed an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance on April 16. If passed, this ordinance would restrict all firearms dealers in particular zoning districts. The council made the proposed zoning amendment publicly available on Friday. “The revised zoning ordinance would also require businesses of firearms sales uses to be approved only by special permit by the City Council and will create specific special permit criteria, including a buffer zone between a firearms dealer and potentially residences, schools, parks and other sensitive locations,” Fuller said. Newton City Council will discuss the proposed Firearm Business Use Zoning Amendment for the first time during the Zoning and Planning Committee meeting on Monday. Public comments will not be allowed at this meeting, but the council will hold a public hearing about the ordinance on May 10, Fuller said. Following the public hearing and input from the community, the council will recommend the ordinance to the full council for a final vote.

IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Right Where They Left Off In the annual Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Game, Phil Jurkovec and Zay Flowers led Team Boston over Dennis Grosel and Team Eagles. See April Showers, A12

See Gun Store, A10

LACROSSE

SHOWDOWN

SPORTS

ARTS

Despite the event being moved online, BC dancers still put on a performance.

Charlotte North, a Tewaaraton Award nominee, was held scoreless in BC’s second loss of the year.

A12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS: Green Week

METRO: Local Art Displayed

EcoPledge celebrated Green Week with events Monday to Friday of last week......A2

Art adorns the fronts of vacant stores throughout the Newton area........................... A10

INDEX

NEWS.........................A2 OPINIONS.............A8