The Board of Trustees say the eight faculty, all theologically liberal, resigned. The faculty reject that interpretation of the events surrounding their departure.

They say events had grown so bad between them and the Dean that if Dunkle continued in his position, they could no longer continue in theirs. "We were not offering our resignations."

"It is impossible to teach Christian theology and serve the formation of priests and lay leaders in a workplace environment that is retaliatory and hostile, where we and our students are suffering intimidation," they wrote at a makeshift blog titled Safe Seminary.

They say that attempts to communicate their concerns directly with Dean Dunkle through a day-long meeting with a professional facilitator specializing in communication and conflict resolution failed to resolve any of the underlying issues.

"Since his arrival as Dean and President, Dean Dunkle has regularly exhorted faculty, staff, and students to engage in 'healthy communication.' Yet, his words and actions have fostered an environment of secrecy and mistrust. On numerous occasions, he has told the faculty and others not to discuss matters with one another and prohibited us from assembling without him. He often speaks unprofessionally to individual faculty members about their colleagues. In every instance, these actions have been carried out in a way that often undermines the professionalism of the individuals in question, frequently with hostility. Many students regularly report to us disconcerting experiences with Dean Dunkle, which left them feeling intimidated and unfairly scrutinized. They, and we feel that such incidents compromise the trust and safety that is necessary particularly for the education and formation of priests, but which everyone should expect in the place that they work, learn, and live," they wrote.

They accused Dunkle of diminishing the reputation of the institution.

They specifically called out his references to women, non-white cultures, and the LGBT community "[as] absolutely inimical to the commitments of our church, frequently stressing that the institution should emphasize 'normal people.'

"We consistently communicated to him that such language undercuts our practices of hospitality and inclusion of those who are gay and lesbian, people of color, those who are differently-abled, or socially non-conformist. When we have brought these matters to his attention, he often denies having made the statements despite the existence of numerous witnesses, and he refuses to acknowledge the impact his actions have on others."

"LOVED VAGINAS"

The group accused the Dean of making inappropriate comments in private conversations with faculty and staff.

"He once commented that he 'loved vaginas' to a female faculty member during a meeting. When told that the comment was inappropriate and unwelcome, he claimed that the discomfort was her problem. When people have complained about such improper comments and have asked him to desist, Dean Dunkle has more than once responded with intimidating and threatening remarks pertaining to individuals' job security."

They added that threats to job security were a consistent and frequent part of the Dean's communication with the faculty.

"This kind of blatantly retaliatory behavior has no place in any workplace, much less a Christian institution. Such behavior is unlawful under federal, state, and New York City statutes."

CONTROL FREAK

They accused the Dean of being a control freak. "Dean Dunkle's insistence on controlling every detail of the seminary makes effective functioning of the institution impossible and dramatically inhibits the work of both staff and faculty to the point in many cases of making our jobs impossible. He causes unnecessary delays, sometimes for weeks or even months, resulting in the loss of students and creating an environment of instability and chaos. Despite his insistence on control, he has publicly violated FERPA regulations by distributing the private educational details of a student to the entire GTS email list."

They noted that he failed to be collaborative and was unable to facilitate an atmosphere of trust, ingenuity, and faithful entrepreneurship. "Dean Dunkle does not display any of these qualities and actually inhibits the development of the positive, constructive atmosphere we desperately need to create."

The faculty called for an immediate appointment of a committee of Board members, to be determined by the faculty, to meet with them to discuss conditions necessary for moving forward as an institution during the October meeting of the Board of Trustees. The conditions are:

* That action be taken to empower the faculty with immediate oversight over the curriculum, schedule, worship, and overall program of formation for the seminary. This should also involve the appointment of a faculty council who will implement a pattern of worship consistent with the Book of Common Prayer (1979).

* Identify and retain a qualified person, external to the institution, to offer pastoral support to staff, students, and faculty during this period of transition and acute stress. We also seek the appointment of a Dean of Students who can ensure that the ongoing spiritual and pastoral concerns are being adequately met and their voices heard.

* That faculty members be afforded due process in connection with all appointments, worship and formation, and the implementation of the seminary's curriculum. The Academic Dean should be empowered with the authority necessary to implement properly the academic program, consistent with the standards of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and our own recent Declaration of the Way of Wisdom.

* Retain a qualified fundraiser to begin a capital campaign to rebuild the seminary's endowment and meet the operational costs of the seminary.

They concluded their letter saying their decision to take this drastic step is borne out of their love and respect for the institution and is not motivated by petty personal issues.

The letter was signed by Professors Davis, DeChamplain, Good, Hurd, Irving, Kadel, Lamborn, and Malloy.

END