Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore is dean of the Honors College. On Jan. 29, 2018 she wrote a letter to the Honors College community regarding recent events at the university.
Like many of you, I am shocked and saddened by the abuses that the young women and women suffered. It is unacceptable that their voices went unheard or unaddressed, at all, let alone for so many years. I share in your outrage and heartbreak that even one life, let alone so many lives, was impacted in such a devastating manner. The outpouring of support that the survivors are receiving and the community that they are building amongst themselves is an important part of the healing process.
There are simply few words that can express the confusion that we are all experiencing. The courage of the survivors to speak their truth publicly serves as a guide for us all. We desire real change. The administrators, faculty, researchers, staff, and other constituencies at this university have an obligation and opportunity to learn from all the failures that allow any type of abuse to persist.
The bravery of the individuals and families who survived this horrible ordeal can and should help us regain our moral compass. There are paths forward that can help bring truth, healing, wholeness, and restoration for the survivors, first and foremost, as well as the MSU community. May we have the wisdom and courage to choose wisely. May we find it within ourselves as a university to be accountable, compassionate, transparent, and to demonstrate integrity in our actions.