With members of Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) non-tenure track faculty (NTTF) union now in jeopardy of job sustainability, under the “religious exemption” authorized by the administration, LMU Theologians addressed the misrepresentation of Jesuit values and Catholic social teaching that was used to bear the decision.
In a letter addressed to LMU Chair Paul Viviano, Chair-Elect Michelle X. Dean, and Secretary (Fr.) Eddie Siebert on Sept.19, LMU Theologians defended the rights of those colleagues a part of the NTTF union. The letter firstly acknowledged the complexities of negotiating budgets and the tenured faculty’s privileged inattentiveness of administrative-provoked unsustainability, stating “We [the tenured Theology department] know that tenured faculty are not always cognizant of the ways in which higher education models of today hover on the edge of sustainability,”.
The letter proceeds to object to the depiction of the NTTF union as a “third-party entity entirely separate from LMU”, asserting their support of the negotiations that have been led by their colleagues, and the NTTF’s loyalty to their students’ success.
“It hurts our hearts to hear you speak of our colleagues as if part of an external force opposed to the survival and common good of the university we share and serve.” stated the letter.
While LMU administration invoked the religious exemption of the union in “good faith”, the university’s Theologians denounced the ethics of their decision-making, claiming that their utilization of Catholic social teaching does not align with its true objective.
In the letter, LMU Theologians reiterated the true understanding of Catholic social teaching as a moral guideline for Catholic institutions, stating that it “articulates not simply the rights of workers but their specific right to organize.”
“It’s Catholic teaching on social issues and it starts with the rights of workers– that’s where it begins,” said LMU Theology professor Brett Hoover, Ph.D.
Their concerns emphasized that the administration’s misapplication of religious exemption negatively reflects onto the Catholic institution built on Jesuit values and their practice, as Theologians, to preserve Catholic principles.
“For me, it was just outright shock that this institution, at a time when we need to really enflesh what it means to do social justice, [was] to claim a religious exemption, to undo a key part of Catholic social teaching and Catholic Social justice.” Cecilia González-Andriew Ph.D, LMU Theology professor and President of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S. said.
As expert Theologians, Hoover and González are unable to identify the moral motive behind the religious exemption as it contradicts with what the administration preaches about Jesuit values and shared governance. “To claim the religious exemption, it seems more out of an anti-union play book,” said Hoover. “I think everybody knows that it’s the same kind of maneuver that any corporation would use.”
Hoover continues to cite the Medieval Theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas’ excerpt on the purpose of government stating that it is “To create the common good,” he said. “That the people in charge are supposed to not only do things in a way that makes space for everyone, and for the flourishing of everyone, but also that they’re supposed to, in some ways, inspire the population to do the same.”
The decision to religiously exempt the union was met with backlashing claims of hypocrisy in return as members of the LMU community felt that the decision conflicts with the Catholic institution’s mission.
“It’s just really hard to defend that this [religious exemption] is consistent with Catholic tradition,” said Hoover. “What upsets me is the way that it [religious exemption] contradicts our Catholic heritage, our Catholic identity.”
LMU Theologians consider the challenges the NTFF continues to face, even past the months of fruitless bargaining meetings with the administration. They acknowledge that in order to achieve “shared governance”, accountability needs to be taken. “They [NTTF] sure do not have job security and it can be really hard to make a living doing that, and we have to take account of that.” said Hoover.
“The Catholic tradition, I think, at its best and the Catholic social teaching is always aware of those who do not have the power in trying to take their side,” said Hoover. “To make sure that they have a place at the table.”
González urges that the administration come to the department of scholared Catholic Theologians for help in the discernment of decision-making that favors the entirety of the LMU community.
“To be part of Catholic social teaching and to lean into Catholic identity, as we are doing, has consequences that sometimes may require us to say ‘Well, we’re going to do with less of that thing so that we can take care of students who need scholarships, so we can pay our workers fair wages, we can pay our faculty, and maybe we don’t do that other thing,’” said González. “But that takes discernment and a community working together.”
In a time where LMU administration has isolated the NTTF union, González reaffirms her duty as a professor of Theology to reach students, staff and faculty, “I live and breathe Catholic social teaching and the rights of the vulnerable and the importance of human dignity,” she said.
González spoke of what LMU can do differently in budgeting to spare the education of students and sustainability of non-tenure track faculty through conversations about financial transparency, what financial priorities can change [marketing campagains], and to instead invest money into student academia. “I have told both Provost Weaver and President Poon that I will teach by candlelight if necessary,” González said. “Because what matters to me is that we continue teaching our students.”
“This [religious exemption] is a way to stop the conversation, to do it at the detriment of who we are, our own history, and all of us who have spent our lives dedicated to the work of protecting the vulnerable and speaking up for the vulnerable,” said González. “It undoes all of our work.”
Theologians work each day to convey the roots of Catholic social teaching into the modern world for their scholars to gain consciousness of togetherness and to advance the common good in solidarity.
“I want students to know that they have a role to play in the ethical application of life… you are getting an education precisely so that you can be critical thinkers,” said González. “So that you can call people to tasks, so that you can raise the red alarms when they need being raised.”
The Lion is following the story closely. More updates to come.
