THE INDEPENDENT
TO UNCOVER
NEWSPAPER SERVING
THE TRUTH
NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S
AND REPORT
AND HOLY CROSS
IT ACCURATELY
VOLUME 58, ISSUE 39 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
SMC reverses transgender admissions policy President Conboy announced the change after receiving backlash from the College community Observer Staff Report
MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer
The Saint Mary’s College Board reversed the new admissions policy that would have considered transgender applicants and taken effect next fall, citing criticism from the Saint Mary’s community.
Kay v. Irish Rover case dismissed by judge A Not r e Da me pr ofe ss or ’s l aw s u it a g a i n st t he I r i s h Rov er a nd her c l a i m s of def a m at ion w er e d i sm i s s e d Mond ay by t he St . Jos eph Sup er ior C ou r t . T he c ou r t r u le d t h at t w o a r t ic le s a b out Not r e Da me s o c iolog y a nd g loba l a ff a i r s pr ofe s s or Ta m a r a K ay publ i s he d i n t he I r i s h Rov er, a st udent ne w spa p er c om m it te d to pr e s er v i ng t he Un i v er sit y ’s C at hol ic c h a r ac ter, w er e m ade w it h r e a s on a ble basi s i n f ac t a nd i n c ompl ia nc e w it h t he l aw. A f ter hold i ng a he a ri ng w it h or a l a r g u ment s i n D e c emb er 202 3, t he St . Jos eph Sup er ior C ou r t d i sm i s s e d t he c a s e u nder I nd i a n a’s a nt i-SL A PP l aw, w h ic h pr ote c t s Fi r st A mend ment r ig ht s. St . Jo s eph C ou nt y S en ior Jud ge Ste v en H. Dav id sig ne d t he r u l i ng.
Ac c ord i ng to t he order to d i sm i s s, t he c ou r t fou nd “t h at t her e i s a r e a s on a ble ba si s i n f ac t for de s c r ibi ng D r. K ay a s ‘ w i l l i ng to help st udent s ac c e s s a b or t ion,’” a nd si m i l a r st atement s. I n May 202 3, K ay a l le ge d i n t he l aw s u it t h at t he t w o a r t ic le s, publ i s he d i n O c tob er 2022 a nd Ma rc h 202 3, c ont a i ne d fa lse st atement s, def a m at ion a nd ot her i n ac c u r ac ie s, r e s u lt i ng i n a l le g at ion s of h a r a s sment , t h r e at s a nd d a m a ge to her r e sident i a l pr op er t y. T he c ou r t fou nd t h at “t he a l le ge d def a m ato r y st atement s w er e t r ue, w it h i n t he me a n i ng of t he l aw, not m ade w it h ac t u a l m a l ic e, d id not c ont a i n a def a m ator y i n fer enc e a nd t her e w er e no d a ma ge s t h at w er e c au s a l l y l i n ke d to T he I r i s h Rov er a r t ic le s.” T he Irish Rov er ’s
NEWS PAGE 4
VIEWPOINT PAGE 5
Observer Staff Report
a nt i-SL A PP mot ion met t he st a nd a rd s for t he c a s e to b e d i sm i s s e d . T he a l le ge d l y def a m ato r y st atement s w er e m ade i n f u r t her a nc e of t he de fend a nt ’s r ig ht to f r e e s p e e c h, i n c on ne c t ion w it h a publ ic i s s ue a nd i n go o d f a it h w it h a r e as on a ble ba si s i n l aw a nd f ac t . T he c ou r t ’s de c i sion uphold s t he I r i s h Rov er ’s r ig ht to f r e e s p e e c h . Dav id fou nd t h at K ay ’s r eferenc e s to “ he a lt hc a r e” a nd t he let ter “J” on her do or a r e e v idenc e t h at s he w a s w i l l i ng to help pr ov ide a b or t ion pi l l ac c e s s, g i v en t he c onte x t of her publ ic st a nc e on a b or t ion r ig ht s. O v er t he pa st s e v en mont h s, t he I r i s h Rov er a nd Ta m a r a K ay m ade op p o si ng a r g u ment s a b out K ay ’s ac t ion s c h r on ic le d t h r ou g h c ou r t f i l i ng s. T he see KAY V. ROVER PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 7
Sa i nt Ma r y ’s w i l l no longer consider t ra nsgender appl ica nts for adm ission, accord i ng to a n ema i l f rom Col lege President Kat ie Conboy a nd Boa rd cha i r Mau reen Ka ra nt z Sm it h sent to facu lt y, sta f f, st udents a nd a lu m nae T hu rsday mor ni ng. T he Boa rd met t h is week a nd decided to reverse its Ju ne decision fol low i ng back la sh f rom t he Col lege com mu n it y, t he ema i l sa id. Conboy a nd Sm it h w rote t hat t he new ad m issions pol ic y, wh ich wa s set to ta ke ef fect nex t fa l l, caused d iv ision a mong t he ca mpus a nd a lu m nae. “It is i ncrea si ng ly clea r, however, t hat t he posit ion we took is not sha red by
a l l members of ou r commu n it y. Some wor r ied t hat t h is wa s much more t ha n a pol ic y decision : t hey felt it wa s a d i lut ion of ou r m ission or even a t h reat to ou r Cat hol ic ident it y,” t hey w rote. For t Way ne-Sout h Bend bishop Kev i n R hoades w rote a let ter i n November ca l l i ng on t he Col lege to reverse its decision. R hoades cr it ici zed t he Boa rd a nd Conboy for not consu lt i ng h i m i n t he decision. T he reversa l comes a f ter R hoades met w it h Conboy a nd Sr. M. Veron ique, president of t he Sisters of t he Holy Cross, to ta l k about t he ad m issions pol ic y cha nge. see ADMISSIONS PAGE 3
ND alum delivers MLK Day speech
PETER BREEN | The Observer
ND Law School alumna Kimberly Esmond Adams spoke at the Century Center Monday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. By PETER BREEN Associate News Editor
Notre Dame alumna Kimberly Esmond Adams delivered the keynote address, and University President Fr. John Jenkins was recognized for community service during a celebration for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in downtown South Bend Monday. Adams, who has served on the trial bench in Fulton
ND SPORTS PAGE 12
County, Georgia since 2009, recalled being part of a group of African American students that successfully petitioned Notre Dame Law School dean David Link to add an elective class in critical race theory to the law school curriculum in 1997 — well before the theory became a hot-button political issue. Critical race theory, Adams said, is an academic and legal see MLK PAGE 3
M HOCKEY PAGE 12