By Emily Losito
News Editor
The memorandum of understanding is an agreement among regional police, health care agencies and advocacy groups to fight sexual violence and domestic violence.
Local agencies signed this accord Monday in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts atrium.
Rick Trietley, director of student affairs, introduced the signing ceremony committee.
The committee included the following: Andrew Roth, president of Bonaventure; Timothy Whitcomb, sheriff of Cattaraugus County; Dominic Papasergi, chief of Allegany Police Department; Jeff Rowley, chief of Olean Police Department; Tina Zerbian, CEO of Cattaraugus Community Action, Inc.; and Donna Kahm, president and CEO of Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc.
According to a Bona’s news release, the agreement aligns the university with proposed federal legislation — the Campus Accountability & Safety Act — that has yet to be approved. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is among 36 U.S. senators pushing for the legislation.
Gary Segrue, director of Bona’s safety and security, said that the ceremony is the right thing to do. Segrue said Bonaventure is one of the first schools in the area to have this accord signed.
Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, of the 148th district, said, “As a father and as a parent you know how scary these things can be.”
He called the accord a blueprint for how sexual violence incidents will be treated in the future.
Roth said the signing of the document is important because it reflects the values of St. Bonaventure.
He said that the areas of responsibility include how sexual violence incidents are reported, handled and processed.
“The university is held to certain standards…[the MOU is] an extremely important document to clarify [how crimes are reported],” he said. “All issues of sexual assault and sexual harassment are issues of respect…I tend to be a zero tolerance person. Once somebody says no, that’s it.”
He said the welfare of the students and the welfare of Bonaventure will be protected.
William Aiello, city of Olean mayor, said he was thankful that Olean was included in this project. “Olean is not immune to these things,” he said. Aiello has 32 years of experience in law enforcement. “This law is to protect college students, and it will filter down to high school students and, sadly, elementary students,” Aiello said.
Whitcomb said, “[The signing] is for such a very good thing.”
He mentioned he would tell his mother what he had been a part of here at Bonaventure; she was among the first women who graduated from Bona’s.
Whitcomb said some laws in the past had handicapped law enforcement and presented more challenges.
Another talking point included the MOU strengthening the commitment St. Bonaventure has to safety, security and success of all community members. It does this through partnerships and collaboration with community partner organizations and law enforcement agencies.
A Bona’s news release said the MOU is intended to ensure that investigations of reports of sexual violence are comprehensive, aid in disciplinary proceedings, facilitate the prosecution of offenders, respect the legal rights of those accused of sexual assault and gender-based crimes and provide appropriate support to survivors.
“St. Bonaventure will continue to be proactive in not only meeting New York State and Federal Law requirements, but also be a regional and national leader in the prevention of sexual violence and other gender-based crimes,” Trietley said.
lositoek14@bonaventure.edu
