SLU Trustee: Majerus Entitled to Opinion

By Kavita Kumar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Jan. 23–A member of St. Louis University’s Board of Trustees said this afternoon that he would be surprised if the school decided to punish basketball coach Rick Majerus as Archbishop Raymond Burke has suggested.

Joe Adorjan, the board member who was formerly the board’s chairman, said the board has not met to discuss the topic and that board members will likely send their views on the matter to the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, SLU’s president.

The school declined to discuss the situation further today beyond the statement it released Tuesday saying that Majerus’ views were his personal opinion and he was not speaking on behalf of the university.

At a rally over the weekend for presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, Majerus told a television reporter that he is pro-choice and supports stem cell research. Those comments led to a denouncement from Burke, who said Tuesday that the Jesuit school should discipline Majerus.

Speaking for himself, Adorjan said he does not think Majerus should be punished for expressing his views.

“My personal view is that he is an employee of the university and the university is run by a lay board,” he said. “I think that’s the coach’s personal opinion and he’s totally entitled to his personal opinion as would be any employee of any other organization.”

Adorjan added, “It is a society in which we have free speech.”

Kkumar@post-dispatch.com

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