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On July 20, a Catholic online news commentary site, The Pillar, published a report alleging that Msgr. Jeffrey Burrill of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “engaged in serial sexual misconduct, while he held a critical oversight role in the Catholic Church’s response to the recent spate of sexual abuse and misconduct scandals.” The Pillar used “commercially available records of app signal data” to track a mobile device correlated to Monsignor Burrill that “suggest he was at the same time engaged in serial and illicit sexual activity.”
Operated by two former editors at E.W.T.N.’s Catholic News Agency, J. D. Flynn and Ed Condon, The Pillar offers news and analysis about the Catholic Church, mostly in the United States. Just before the publication of the story on July 20, the U.S.C.C.B. announced that Monsignor Burrill had resigned in light of “impending media reports alleging possible improper behavior.”
Naomi Osaka, ranked No. 2 in the Women’s Tennis Association, has made the courageous decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open. Her battle with depression and anxiety has made attending press conferences, a significant part of her job, unbearable. Osaka described doing post-game interviews as “kicking a person while they’re down,” forcing her to drop out of a significant tournament due to mistreatment. As journalists, we must recognize when our work threatens the well-being of athletes.
The fact that Osaka contemplated withdrawing in order to protect herself is ridiculous. Osaka should not have to explain her situation if it means revealing personal information regarding her mental health. Last week, she attempted to open up about her refusal to do press conferences on behalf of her mental health. The French Open, in turn, fined and threatened her with expulsion from the tournament.
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