The University of Notre Dame said an investigation into the former leader of a residence hall found multiple occurrences of sexual abuse.
According to a 25-page report, Rev. Thomas King “sexually touched or assaulted” students at Notre Dame and after he left the University.
The report says King engaged in “grooming behaviors” and used his power as an authority figure to orchestrate inappropriate situations.
A common tactic detailed in the report involved King lying to students about his concern for their health, making them fully undress to weigh them.
The investigation identified credible reports of 15 former students who were victims of the “weighing scheme”.
Some witnesses said King coerced them into silence by threatening their ability to attend Notre Dame.
King served as rector of Zahm Hall from 1980 to 1997.
A rector oversees residence halls at the University, living with students in single-sex complexes. Zahm Hall was a men’s residence hall during King’s tenure.
The Notre Dame Board of Trustees commissioned the investigation last fall following allegations of abuse involving King.
A former sex crimes prosecutor, Helen Carter of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, carried out the investigation.
101 interviews and a review of more than 1,000 documents helped shape the final report.
King, through counsel, refused to be interviewed, according to the report.
“We are deeply disturbed by these findings and wish to extend our deepest apologies to the victims for what they endured,” University President Rev. Robert Dowd and Board Chair John Veihmeyer said in a joint statement.
“The conduct described in this report is antithetical to everything Notre Dame stands for and to the dignity and respect owed to every member of this community.”
The report follows a former Zahm Hall resident writing a letter to Notre Dame in 2018, saying he was a victim of the weighing scheme in the 1990’s.
During an initial investigation, the report says King “intimated that he had resigned from teaching at Holy Cross College because of similar accusations.”
During King’s tenure at Notre Dame, the report says Zahm Hall was known for having a “fraternity-like” culture.
“Witnesses described an environment in Zahm that was permeated by a persistent sexual undercurrent, where sexualized behavior was normalized and appropriate boundaries were routinely disregarded.”
Freshman residents would annually take part in the “Odin ritual” before the first home football game of the season, parading across campus in togas, being slapped with dead fish, covered with shaving cream, and jumping into mud.
Witnesses told investigators that King would direct participants to remove their togas and underwear so he could hose them down.
Another Zahm tradition, the “Bun Run”, saw freshmen run naked through campus during finals week. King took group photos of naked participants, the report states.
Following his time as rector, King continued to teach at Holy Cross College until 2007. He worked at Holy Cross for 27 years, total.
He also served as the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church near Lakeville, Indiana from 1999 to 2007. He then worked at St. Mark Parish in Niles, Michigan until 2019.
A former parishioner at St. Mark told investigators King molested him in the parish rectory.
The report also revealed previously undisclosed allegations of abuse against Rev. David Porterfield.
Despite multiple allegations of abuse, Portfield was able to work in various roles for the University of Notre Dame and in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, giving him access to young men in a ministerial position from 1983 through 2018.
Gaps in communication between the Congregation of Holy Cross and the University of Notre Dame as well as incomplete internal record keeping practices identified in the report may have allowed Porterfield and King to avoid repercussions.
“As a community, we must confront our deep sorrow and pain and redouble our efforts to become the Notre Dame we seek to be,” Dowd and Veihmeyer said in their statement. “We also acknowledge that our work on these efforts must be ongoing and evolving.”
In response to the report, Notre Dame said it’s adopting new safety measures.
The University said it will institute a new oversight policy to track sexual misconduct, improved information sharing between Notre Dame and the Congregation of Holy Cross about reports of misconduct, educational programming, and enhanced reporting to the Board of Trustees on how allegations are handled.
The University said it’s creating a Counseling Support Program to provide mental health serives to former students who were victims of sexual abuse or misconduct.
Current Notre Dame students in need of support can contact the University Counseling Center at 574-631-7336 or find help online through TimelyCare. Faculty and staff can contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-888-293-3740.
A list of University resources, including confidential advocates and reporting options, are available at https://equity.nd.edu/resources/