Jogues Residence Hall Coordinator Clark Callaghan was forced to resign last Tuesday after a resident assistant informed a higher-ranking staff member that Callaghan was in violation of residence life staff codes of conduct.
Callaghan was the primary RHC on duty last Saturday and required to stay within 30 miles of campus.
However, Callaghan decided to go to New York City during the day.
He was spotted by a female
resident assistant, assigned to the quad, who happened to be on the same train.
She then reported his breach of conduct to other staff members.
The report made its way to Fran Koerting, director of residence life, who immediately questioned Callaghan about the incident in question.
“When I was first questioned about being in the city, I lied,” said Callaghan. “There was a series of meetings with Fran and they were going to fire me and I asked if I could resign and they allowed me to do that.”
The series of meetings
included Fran Koerting, Mark Reed, dean of students, and Gary Stephenson, director of housing, according to several residence life staff members.
Callaghan resigned from the RHC position rather than be fired and was told to vacate Jogues Hall by Friday.
Callaghan was appreciative of Koerting’s handling of the matter.
“I think she took the time to listen to my side of the story,” he said. “I think she was in a position where she needed to protect the integrity of the position and to do that, she needed to dismiss me.”
According to residence life staff, rumors of Callaghan’s relationship with other resident assistants may have initiated investigation into his staff position, but the fact that another resident assistant told on Callaghan left some feeling angry.
“I heard that RAs are ratting other RAs out,” said John Vallee ’06, an RA in Jogues Hall. “I am pretty pissed off about it and I have no respect for that, I think it’s totally absurd.”
Another RA who wished to remain anonymous said, “There were allegations of relationships with other RA’s that were never confronted. Residence Life prides itself on going to the source of rumors to find out the truth but they used rumors against him.”
“When you become an RA, it’s a common understanding that you look out for each other, watch out for each other, it’s like a family.”
Vallee added, “I never in a million years thought I would be in the middle of something like this. ”
Reed declined to comment about the situation citing due to legal and privacy reasons that “I would not comment on the details of an individual’s employment status beyond the basic facts whether the individual were employed or not,” he said.
Koerting, when informed of the information received by The Mirror, said “I would also caution you that most of the information you have been given is incorrect, so I would question the accuracy of your source.”
Callaghan, who supplied and verified The Mirror’s information, said “My two biggest regrets about situaton is one, I regret I lied about it when I was confronted about it,” he said. “I regret having to leave the best staff I have ever had the privilege of working with.”
Vallee, who will also miss being part working with Callaghan, said, “He was one of the best men I have ever know and anyone who says otherwise I would like to have a word with them. I am not honored to be part of something where people tell on each other.”
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