Just a week or two ago – former Baylor University president and chancellor Ken Starr refused to say the school has a systemic problem with rape and sexual assault:
“I wouldn’t put a number on it. I would put a cultural question – is there, in fact, a cultural insensitivity to issues of interpersonal violence and that was not the case at Baylor and still is not the case at Baylor.”
Starr, of course, is entitled to his opinion. But since he gave that interview at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, a few things have happened.
Yesterday, two more women joined a Title IX lawsuit alleging the university mishandled investigations into their claims of sexual assault. That suit, first filed in June, now has a total of eight women who say they were sexually assaulted while attending Baylor.
And late last night, Baylor announced that the school’s first full-time Title IX coordinator, Patty Crawford, has resigned.
In a statement, Baylor said, “Our understanding is that Patty was disappointed in her role in implementing recommendations that resulted from the Pepper Hamilton investigation.”
That investigation found that the university was basically derelict at responding to reports of sexual violence.
If you go to church, you’ve probably heard someone say “Amen” in agreement. What you probably haven’t heard are non-human affirmations.
Barking, meowing, and squawking is what Natalia Contreras with the Corpus Christi Caller-Times heard at All Saints Episcopal Church in Corpus Christi on Sunday.
“Well, it was a great service,” Contreras says. “It was actually great to see everybody walking in – not only with their puppies but with their cats and one lady had a parrot. So all pets were welcome, or all animals were welcome.”
The service was in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, who wrote the Canticle of Creatures. This year, St. Assisi’s feast day is Oct. 4.
Contreras spoke with Rev. Jonathan Wickham about the idea behind Sunday’s service.
“We’re not blessing the animals, the animals are really blessing us,” Wickham said. “They’re honoring us by having their presence in this wonderful, wonderful worship space and time together.”
After a song ended at the service, a 9-year-old mutt named Chance started howling.
“It was great, as if he was agreeing with the song or as if he really enjoyed it. So it was just great,” Contreras says. “The reverend kept on getting interrupted by the barks and the howling … as if they were enjoying it like everyone else.”
You might need an animal-sized appetite to dig into the Texas Rangers’ postseason food offerings.
The Rangers playoff birth means new concessions – now you can sink your teeth into a $27 Atomic Burger touting a 1 lb. patty with ghost pepper sauce.
Also up at bat: The N.E.Q., or Never Ever Quit sandwich – which is a Texas take on a Philly Cheesesteak.