1,500 signatures! Thank you again for signing, and please do help get the word out. Now let's turn to today's question: Why should Duane Litfin's and Sam Shellhamer's names be removed from the divinity school and college café?

A short answer

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. — James 1:27

A longer answer

We believe Duane Litfin and Sam Shellhamer got James 1:27 backwards by looking after Wheaton College's reputation and the needs of Dennis Massaro, causing decades of suffering for Kathy (Massaro) Gallagher and her children in the process. Her daughter Hannah's heartbreaking testimony speaks for itself. In light of James 1:27 and what Kathy and her children endured, we do not think Wheaton College should be naming things after the two men arguably most responsible.

Sam Shellhamer can be directly linked to some of the harmful activities of the college documented below. Other actions of the college cannot be directly linked to Sam Shellhamer, but are consistent with those that can.

Duane Litfin, the president of the college, was Sam's boss. He can hardly have been unaware of what Sam was doing and gave him either tacit approval or active encouragement.

If either man were to argue that the events documented below occurred without his knowledge or approval, we would still have to ask why Wheaton College should continue honoring before men administrators who, in their official capacities, failed so profoundly in their James 1:27 responsibilities before God—even if that failure was a result of ignorance or impotence.

Protecting the college

Here's a short list of things Wheaton College did to prevent knowledge of Dennis Massaro's alleged sexual abuse from spreading:

The documents

The official record of Dennis Massaro's termination indicates he was fired not for allegedly sexually assaulting three students, but rather for "Other Improper Conduct."

The victims

One victim recalls Sam Shellhamer telling him, "You don't need to go talking about this to anyone because it might not go well for you or for Massaro."

Dennis Massaro

Wheaton College had him sign a one-directional confidentiality agreement which ensured his silence on the matter. Despite the accusations against him, Wheaton College kept him on as an employee until the end of the school year, then feted him with praise that fall. (As you read this Wheaton Record front page, keep in mind that the college knew then what you know now.) All these actions served to keep things smooth for the college during Dennis's departure.

Protecting Dennis Massaro

Beyond protecting the college's interests, we also have evidence that Sam Shellhamer actively worked to help Dennis Massaro on a personal level as well.

When Kathy and Dennis Massaro divorced, Kathy desperately needed to be able to protect her children from Dennis. Sam Shellhamer's behavior suggests that he was trying just as hard to protect both the college and Dennis—at the expense of Kathy and her children.

If you've seen this document before, you may have noticed Sam had a deposition coming up. That deposition led to this:

A clinical interview was conducted with Dr. Sam Shellhamer, Vice-President for Student Development at Wheaton College. The purpose of this interview was to determine the nature of the events that had occurred which led to Mr. Massaro leaving the College. Information obtained from Dr. Shellhamer indicates that Mr. Massaro was the director of the Office of Christian Outreach at Wheaton College for approximately 19 years. Dr. Shellhamer states that the incidents that occurred happened at retreat settings, off-campus, and involved three students. He notes that, from his understanding, there was hand-to-genital contact from Mr. Massaro to the other students. He also notes that all the incidents occurred in what appears to have been a sleepwalking state or an unconscious state. As a result of these incidents, Mr. Massaro was asked to resign from the College. Dr. Shellhamer notes that the College made provision for Mr. Massaro to enter into therapy with a professional, which he has done to date. There were apparently no formal charges filed by the students or the College against Mr. Massaro. Dr. Shellhamer spoke very highly of Mr. Massaro's tenure while he was at the College, noted that he was highly regarded while employed by the college and continues to be an outstanding alumnus. Dr. Shellhamer noted that when confronted about these incidents, Mr. Massaro made no attempt to deny their occurrence and was honest about their occurrence.

Sam Shellhamer's advocacy on Dennis Massaro's behalf became part of the custody proceedings in which he ultimately secured the right to unsupervised visitation with his two children.

Speaking for myself, I personally know someone who used Dennis Massaro as their mortgage broker based on recommendations from Wheaton College administrators. During the same period Kathy Massaro was struggling to keep food on the table for her children, college leaders were still helping steer business toward her former husband.

In this YouTube clip, Julie Roys and Chris Fritz discuss how his wife Aimee had to stand up to her boss Sam Shellhamer to keep Dennis from gaining access to more students from the college:

Aimee takes the request [for a student intern] over to Sam... goes in and closed the door. She said, "Sam, I know," and shows him the request. And he's like, "What are you talking about?" She's like, "I know about Dennis. I know what he's done to students. I know he's not supposed to be on campus and you're supposed to prevent it." He said, "I can't stop him from requesting interns. If he wants to request an intern, he can. It's his right." And she was like, "It is not. It's your obligation." And he's like, "I have no authority here." So Amy takes it and goes like, "Well I have the authority." She rips up the request and throws it away in his garbage can. And he's like, "You don't have the ability to do that." And she's like, "I did it." And left.

If this conversation doesn't leave you convinced that something needs to be done, nothing else I can say will.  Three things merit mention.

First, we see Sam apparently prepared to allow Dennis access to yet more students. Second, we may see our clearest glimpse of another figure who appears only indirectly in the documents I've shared: Duane Litfin. Sam speaks as though decisions have already been made above him and as though his role is simply to comply.

But I think what I love best about this conversation is watching a woman step up to do what three other men around her never mustered the courage to do: Claim the authority of what is right before God and simply do it. Two of the men who failed this test were presidents of the college. And one of them has a divinity school named after him.