Student's volunteer mission is latest row at St. Thomas

A University of St. Thomas law school student's request to fulfill her required volunteer service at Planned Parenthood has ignited the latest philosophical wrestling match on the campus in the school's attempts to balance religious and academic values.

Student Tara Borton was granted permission last week to volunteer at Planned Parenthood by the school's student-run Public Service Board (PSB). A day later, Dean Thomas Mengler overruled the decision. Mengler said he won't allow any work the first-year law student does at Planned Parenthood to count toward the 50 volunteer hours she needs to graduate. Mengler cited the group's work with contraception and abortion.

"I view myself as responsible for promoting and protecting our institutional identity, including but not limited to our Catholic identity," Mengler said Thursday. "Our law school clearly has a faith mission."

In 1999, its president, the Rev. Dennis Dease, denied a sociology undergraduate student academic credit for interning at Planned Parenthood, a precedent Mengler cited in his decision.

The internship requirement was waived for that student, who graduated on time, said university spokesman Doug Hennes.

Borton, who is not Catholic, said she sees Mengler's decision as "more of a detriment to the school than it is protective of Catholic identity."

Mengler's concern that allowing the volunteer hours at Planned Parenthood is an endorsement of its mission is "totally off-base," Borton said. She's volunteered for the organization before and said she likes its work to stem sexually transmitted infections and promote contraception.

"It's discouraging," Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Kathi Di Nicola said of Mengler's decision. "We're a front-line health-care provider for those on the margins of life."

For St. Thomas, the case is the latest in a string involving the tension between its faith mission and the views of a student or guest. The university was criticized for denying Archbishop Desmond Tutu from speaking on campus last year. The university apologized and re-invited Tutu, but he chose to speak elsewhere in the Twin Cities last month.

This year, a campus committee rejected a speaking engagement by conservative author, columnist and anti-abortion activist Star Parker. A flood of criticism led the university to re-invite Parker.

Two student groups and 80 students signed a letter to Mengler in protest of the Borton decision, saying her situation is different from the 1999 case because her service hours don't count toward academic credit. Atop that, the letter said, Borton's volunteer work as approved by the PSB was for STD/STI testing, cancer prevention and other health services, not abortion or contraception.

The students called for a more open process and cited the school's philosophy of "welcoming and embracing of those who differ."

"We believe that your unilateral conclusion to overturn the PBS's decision is a step in the wrong direction and we urge you to reconsider," the letter read.

"I can see the dean's decision as reasonable," said third-year law student Nick Jannakos, who signed the letter. "But I think it's a decision that's worth all the uproar that it's caused."

Mengler, who issued his letter after receiving complaints from faculty, students and alumni, said Thursday he plans to meet with Borton soon, but he's not changing his mind.

"My decision is final," he said.

Staff writer Josephine Marcotty contributed to this report.

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391