Grove City College (GCC), a Christian liberal arts college about sixty-five miles north of Pittsburgh, has suspended student John Gechter, who was recognized by a fellow student as a subject in the images on a homosexual pornography website. Representatives from the college say that it has done so with the ardent hope that the young man, majoring in molecular biology, can turn his life around and reintegrate himself into the college community.
“A student on campus was browsing inappropriate content online and recognized me on a (pornography) Web site,” said the 22-year-old Philadelphia native in a Sharon-Herald newspaper report. “He copied and pasted some images and sent an e-mail to some friends. GCC is a pretty small school, so the e-mail spread like wildfire.”
The college administration was subsequently notified of Gechter’s clandestine activity and decided to suspend Gechter for one year, pending his decision to appeal to the provost, with the goal of giving the student time to reconsider the direction he has taken in his life.
GCC Communications Director Amy Clingensmith said Gechter’s involvement in the porn industry “exhibited behavior contrary to the values” of the college, but emphasized that the college’s main concern was for Gechter.
“Clearly something happened since he’s been here for four years that led him down this unfortunate path,” she said. “We want to get him out of that type of life.”
During a meeting with school administration Gechter confirmed that he was in fact performing in the adult entertainment industry.
Gechter was charged with three offenses: sexual misconduct; participating in a public display of pornography; and having been engaged in conduct that is contrary to the mission and values of Grove City College and likely to bring dishonor to the college and acting in a way inconsistent with college values, according to a letter sent to Gechter from GCC Vice President for Student Life and Learning Larry Hardesty.
According to Ms. Clingensmith, disciplinary action at GCC has four goals: educating the students on what they have done wrong; changing that behavior; pointing the students toward Christ; and restoring them to the college community.
Ms. Clingensmith said the GCC student handbook outlines the college’s stance on premarital sex under its sexual misconduct policy. “Premarital sex, heterosexual or homosexual, or any other such conduct that violates historical Christian standards” is subject to disciplinary action.
Gechter will be able to return to GCC in the fall of 2010 to finish his degree, “provided he exhibited proof that he turned his life around and is out of (the porn) industry,” Ms. Clingensmith explained. “The student was also notified he was not to be on college property during this suspension and informed a return to the college would involve the approval of (Hardesty) and a probationary status.”
College President Richard Jewell said the three-fold mission of Grove City College is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment.
“Grove City College remains true to the vision of its founders,” the school’s mission statement proclaims. “Rejecting relativism and secularism, it fosters intellectual, moral, spiritual, and social development consistent with a commitment to Christian truth, morals, and freedom.”
GCC President Richard Jewell may be reached for comment at:
100 Campus Drive, Grove City, Pennsylvania 16127
Phone: (724)-458-2500
Fax: (724)-458-2190
Email: eval(unescape(‘%76%61%72%20%61%64%64%72%20%3d%20%27%25%37%32%25%36%37%25%36%61%25%36%35%25%37%37%25%36%35%25%36%63%25%36%63%25%34%30%25%36%37%25%36%33%25%36%33%25%32%65%25%36%35%25%36%34%25%37%35%27%3b%76%61%72%20%73%74%72%69%6e%67%20%3d%20%27%25%37%32%25%36%37%25%36%61%25%36%35%25%37%37%25%36%35%25%36%63%25%36%63%25%34%30%25%36%37%25%36%33%25%36%33%25%32%65%25%36%35%25%36%34%25%37%35%27%3b%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%27%20%2b%20%75%6e%65%73%63%61%70%65%28%61%64%64%72%29%20%2b%20%27%22%3e%27%20%2b%20%75%6e%65%73%63%61%70%65%28%73%74%72%69%6e%67%29%20%2b%20%27%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’)); [email protected]
