By GottaLaff
Negotiations to reinstate the College Democrats club as an official campus organization had devolved into a game of hardball, with school administrators demanding a retraction and apology from club sponsor Maria Childress, a staff member of the university. They blamed her for making statements to the media that helped to heap scorn on the school after it decided to revoke the club's recognition -- a move criticized as partisan-driven and inhibiting free speech.
School officials accused her of all but hijacking the Democrats club, and Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. cited her "apparent lack of integrity." [...]
Yesterday, it was revealed that Childress had recently been convicted of several criminal offenses among other traffic-related violations. [...]
Childress, who graduated from Liberty's honors program in 2004, said yesterday that the convictions stemmed from a visitation dispute involving her 4-year-old daughter, whom she was attempting to pick up from her ex-father-in-law's house. "I was found guilty because they had witnesses and I did not. It was a nightmare." [...]
She denied saying to the media that the club had been banned from the campus. But she says Liberty's decision means not being able to reserve meeting space. Having to hold meetings in the dining hall would be unproductive, she added.
Childress also denied saying that Liberty officials believe a person cannot be both a Christian and a Democrat, though she acknowledges citing an e-mail in which Mark Hine, vice president of student affairs, stated: "The Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of LU and to Christian doctrine."
"Yes. I feel like I'm being asked to apologize for things I did not say," she said. [...]
"I would prefer to speak to Jerry Jr. and have the respect of him speaking to me," she said.
"Personal issues should be completely left out of it," she said. "I feel like they're using this as a weapon."
Welcome, Maria, to the sleazy world of politics.
Democracy in action.
.jpg)