Black eye here for immediate past acting/interim president at Wheeling Jesuit, or at least a smudge or at least a potential smudge:
[Catherine] Smith claims she discovered federal grant funds were being misused, including the classification of direct and indirect costs, direct payment of salaries without proper time and effort certification and payment of rent for John Davitt McAteer’s personal law office
and that she “promptly” reported what she found to McAteer himself, who was her supervisor, and to others, reports the West Virginia Record, a legal journal.
This would be about the NASA overcharge, announced almost simultaneously with Rev. Julio Giulietti’s firing as president and installation of McAteer as acting/interim president last August.
McAteer [had already] used inappropriate language [says Smith in her “whistleblower” suit] that was verbally abusive, vulgar and sexual in nature. . . . after [her] report, McAteer responded by creating a hostile work environment,
Smith says.
Subsequently, she was fired immediately after an employee whom she had “counseled” regarding his “substandard job performance” complained, she further says.
If she can make this stand up in court, it’s potentially a blow to the midsection for McAteer, who relinquished his acting presidency position this month, returning to his former position as University Vice President for Sponsored Programs.
Blithe Spirit 
Snow remains in DC and it’s cold. It’s the same weather and emotional feeling in Wheeling where Sr. Francis Marie Thrailkill was recently named the second interim president at Wheeling Jesuit in six months.
Sister Thrailkill must be courageous. Did those who discovered her tell her she will be interim president for 18 months after a six month disastrous attempt at leadership by Mr. McAteer? Or that Fr. Giulietti was illegally and violently discharged from his duties as president six months ago and to this day not given any reason for his dismissal? Or that the highly touted presidential search of last fall came up with no viable candidates? Does Sister know that until the leadership of the Jesuits of Maryland exonerates Fr. Giulietti from any wrong doing then her attempts to make piece with thousands of alumni will be limited to the equivalent of repositioning deck chairs on the Titanic? Was Sister told that she will be working with faculty and staff who are demoralized by the cruel and pointless dismissal of Fr. Giulietti by the board and three spineless Jesuit trustees? Will Sister take the lead with the public harassment suit filed against the college and Mr. McAteer?
It is no surprise that Jesuits did not apply to be president after Fr. Giulietti’s sad dismissal. That gives a dysfunctional board and dysfunctional trustees 18 months to arrange a new owner for the college. Will it be sold to a group of interested Christians willing to let the institution be a school with Christian values? (Its former Jesuit values were thrown away last August.) Will UPMC be the new tenant as it makes its move toward ownership of Wheeling Hospital? The campus buildings would make a fine center for medical and scientific research? Viable ownership options exist. What does not exist is any resemblance to a Jesuit college with a core commitment to justice and peace.
Larry Catraro
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