By: Austin Reeder
Freshman orientation leaders at a Catholic university in St. Louis chastised parents who criticized “sex allowances” and LGBTQ+ advocacy, with one student employee going so far as to suggest that a mother pull her son’s enrollment and send him to “Trump University” instead–according to a tip received through Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tip Line.
Tensions ran high in a parents’ Facebook group when a parent anonymously expressed concerns regarding some recent posts by other parents of incoming freshmen at Saint Louis University.
“I’m disturbed by the number of posts related to ‘sex allowances’ and LGBT advocacy,” the parent posted. “This is a Catholic institution, is it not?”
These “sex allowances” refer to money given to a student in order to by items such as condoms, Plan B, among others.
A particularly disturbing post comes from Randall Jenkins, a parent who sought advice from other parents to determine how much money he should provide to his stepson each week to purchase “reproductive justice” supplies in light of the recent reversal of Roe vs. Wade.
“What is the sex scene like on campus?” Jenkins begins. “Is $15 a week too much or too little?”
The backlash came immediately– but not in the direction one might expect.
Rather than criticizing the father who inquired about the sexual activity of young adults, Student Involvement Center staff went after the anonymous parent who expressed concerns over the father’s wildly inappropriate question.
“SLU is very welcoming and doesn’t push [C]atholic values on their students. We do advocate for LGBTQ+ with numerous clubs, organizations and resources and have outside resources related to sex,” wrote Kelci Crandall, who serves as one of SLU’s orientation leaders.
“It is a school where a student should not be discouraged to be theirselves [sic],” she continued.
After another parent expressed concerns about the inappropriate question, Sarah Berret, who also serves as an orientation leader, suggested that the mother “reconsider whether SLU is the right choice for your family.”
“Maybe try Trump University,” she added.
YAF independently verified the validity of these Facebook group posts.
Saint Louis University has made it very clear that they do not tolerate Catholic and conservative values. If they are going to continue pushing LGBTQ+ and sex-positive “values,” maybe it’s time that they reconsider their Catholic affiliation.
