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Syracuse University lists five confidential resources on its website for sexual relationship violence, four of which are on campus. SU’s sole off-campus resource is Vera House, an organization in Syracuse which provides support, crisis intervention and victim advocacy for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.

From 2020 to 2022, Vera House employed a sex offender as a “victim advocate.” While SU will continue its relationship with Vera House, the university has outlined a series of requests for the organization to maintain the relationship and have SU “feel confident” regarding it, said Rob Hradsky, the university’s vice president for the student experience.

“We’ve had a very strong relationship in the past,” Hradsky said. “We are looking at ways that we can better understand changes that they’re making as a result of that situation that occurred.”

In August, CNYCentral published an investigation into the hiring of Marcus Jackson, who then-Co-Executive Director Randi Bregman knew was a level 2 sex offender when she offered him a job at Vera House.

In 2000, Jackson was convicted of “unlawful sexual activity with a minor,” requiring him to register as a sex offender. While Vera House originally insisted Jackson had no contact with minors in his capacity as a victim advocate, the New York State Office of Victim Services identified two such instances.

The organization has since apologized for hiring Jackson, and maintained that Bregman and two advocacy program leaders were the only people within the organization who knew of Jackson’s status as a registered sex offender.

“We regret the decision to hire him and are deeply sorry for the pain and confusion this has caused. Our staff deserves to work in a safe, transparent environment,” then-Co-Executive Directors Randi Bregman and Angela Douglas, along with Vera House’s Board of Directors, wrote in an August statement.

In order to continue the relationship between Vera House and SU, Hradsky said SU has requested that Vera House place a staff member from SU on its governing board so the university can have more of a voice in its decision-making.

“We are still figuring out the best way to have the staff member involved with Vera House, so we are having active conversations with their board,” Hradsky said.

Hradsky said the university hasn’t confirmed who the staff member to sit on Vera House’s governing board will be, but that they will most likely be from one of the university’s offices involved in victim support, like the Barnes Center at the Arch’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team or the university’s Title IX Office.

Sarah Scalese, SU’s senior associate vice president for communications, told The D.O. on Wednesday that Vera House has yet to place an SU staff member on its governing board.

Hradsky said SU also made a request to view Vera House’s operating procedures, with which the organization complied. The D.O. reached out to Vera House for comment, but the organization did not respond by the time of publication.

Emma Kelly | Contributing Designer

With SU’s requests not completely fulfilled, some aspects of SU and Vera House’s relationship have been put on hold.

In February, the Barnes Center announced that Vera House would hold weekly office hours for students. SU added the office hours in response to protests in late 2021 and early 2022 from Stand With Survivors SU, a student-led advocacy group against sexual assault.

Until the organization fulfills the university’s requests, Hradsky said Vera House’s office hours will remain suspended.

Hradsky did not say whether Vera House officials were also suspended from visiting SU classes, but mentioned that the university has no way of knowing if members are still coming to campus in their capacities at the organization.

“Inevitably, we do have some individuals who will reach out to Vera House and schedule things on their own,” Hradsky said. “But, for the most part, we try to coordinate so that we know when they’re on campus.”

While there is not a set date for Vera House’s SU programming to return, Hradsky said the organization has been cooperative in discussions and that he would expect some “movement” in the spring.

Hradsky noted that though it isn’t finished, Vera House has made significant progress since CNYCentral’s investigation came out. Multiple members of their staff and board of directors have since resigned, Hradsky said.

“(Vera House has also) recruited new folks to the other board,” Hradsky said. “From a leadership perspective, there’s been a significant change.”

After an open letter from former Vera House employees condemned Bregman’s decision to hire Jackson, Vera House’s Board of Directors wrote in a press release that it had accepted Randi Bregman’s resignation. In the same message, the board named Douglas the sole director.

“I am very sorry for the hurt and pain I have caused,” Bregman wrote in an open letter addressed to staff, volunteers and community supporters when she stepped down on Sept. 2. “In our work, we talk a lot about intention versus impact. For those that experience harmful impact, intentions don’t matter.”

In a Nov. 14 email, then-Board Member Sheri Rodriguez told The D.O. that Douglas would be “busy” throughout the entire week and unable to interview.

On Nov. 23, Vera House announced that it had placed Douglas on paid leave and named Rodriguez the interim executive director. Before Douglas was put on leave, Hradsky said she joined the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence to provide insight into what happened and the changes ongoing at Vera House.

Scalese told The D.O. that Douglas was on the board by virtue of her position at Vera House. With her leave, Vera House Board of Director President Marissa Saunders has taken Douglas’ place on the task force.

“I have believed in the work (Vera House) has done,” he said. “I was disappointed in what occurred, but I’m really focused on the future and how we move forward.”

Published on December 8, 2022 at 12:39 am

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard